


Purple Determination

by wapaksoccet13



Series: The Shades of Purple [1]
Category: Code Geass
Genre: Code Geass: Lost Colors, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-11
Updated: 2017-02-10
Packaged: 2018-07-14 08:16:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 50,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7161953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wapaksoccet13/pseuds/wapaksoccet13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jocelyn ri Britannia is the eldest child of Rai vi Britannia and Kallen Kouzuki.  Cunning as her father and stubbornly faithful like her mother, Jocelyn was born into the new Special Administrative Zone created by sub-Viceroy Euphemia li Britannia.  For eighteen years, peace has been present between the Zone and the Homeland, but now it has started to crack.  It is now up to Jocelyn and her friends to save the peace that her parents helped create.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

I could remember it like it was yesterday.  Father and I were out sparing in the backyard while my younger brother, Katsu, watched from the porch with Mother.  A smile played on Father’s face as we battled back and forth.  That cocky smile that said that he knew he was winning, but this time, I was ready.  He wasn’t expecting me to slide on my knees when he lunged forward, ducking under his arm then launching myself shoulder first into his abdomen.  I felt the wind leave his body, but he was too quick for me to take advantage of his lack of breath.  He wrapped his arms around my waist and spun me away.  I tucked into a roll then spun on my heels to face Father.

“Oh, nice one Joce!” I heard Mother shout. 

I smiled, but it was just the distraction Father needed.  He lunged forward at me with a barrage of attacks, and I had no choice but to defend each one without a counterattack.  As I continued to back pedal, I managed to trip over my own two feet, falling backwards on my ass.  _Damn it!_   I looked up to find Father hovering over me, a smile full on his face.

“Nice job, Jocelyn.  If you hadn’t let yourself get distracted, you would’ve had me that time,” he said, offering out his hand to me.

I took it and let him pull me to my feet. “Next time, Father,” I replied, a smile of my own making an appearance.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and we began to walk back to Mother and Katsu. “You know, you’re starting to get as good as Suzaku.  I wonder what he’ll say when he finds out a fifteen year old is going to start besting him soon in sparing.”

I beamed at the thought of beating Uncle Suzaku in combat. “You really think so?”

Father smiled at me then looked at Mother.  We had just reached the steps of the back porch. “What do you think, dear?”

“Without a doubt, she’ll be able to take him down soon,” she replied, only adding to my confidence.  _Look out, Uncle Suzaku.  I’m coming for you._

That memory is one of the best ones I had of my Father and I spending time together.  It was also one of the last.

Two months later, the day of my sixteenth birthday, everything changed.  We decided to go out shopping for new clothes.  Mother, Katsu, and I had just walked into a shop to get new school uniforms for Katsu, who was just beginning middle school at Ashford Academy, while I needed new uniforms as I had started to outgrow my current ones.  Father had stepped outside to take a call from Uncle Lloyd, a weird scientist that helped Father and Mother on their Knightmares.

“I’ll be right outside,” Father said, a smile on his face as he left us.

I was watching Katsu try on his jacket when I heard Mother groan.  She was currently digging through her purse, evidently not finding what she was looking for.

“What is it, Mother?” I asked as Katsu checked himself out in the mirrors.

“I think your father has the card.  Would you be a dear and go grab it from him?” she asked.

I smiled and nodded. “Sure, Mother.”

I left the store, not seeing my father right away.  The mall was busy, but then again it was a weekend.  As I continued to look, I finally found him standing farther away still on the phone.  I smiled and began to walk towards him.  _And you said you’d be right outside, Father.  You always walk off._

As I began to get closer, I saw three men, all dress in black suits and sunglass walk towards my father.  Father’s face looked at them in confusion, causing me to slow my walk.  _What’s going on?_ I was too far away to hear their conversation, but I could tell Father was asking who the men were.

_Bang._

I stopped dead in my tracks as I heard the gunshot.  The look of surprise on Father’s face, the growing red spot on his chest.  _No…no…_

“FATHER!”  I screamed as he fell to the ground.

I ran to Father, vaguely taking into account the direction the three men that just shot him had ran off towards.  The blood on his shirt began to spread quickly, indicating the blood loss was at a fast rate.  I pulled my jacket off and pressed it against the wound, hoping that it would slow the rate long enough for the medics to arrive.

“Someone call for help!” I shouted at the crowd that was beginning to form around us.

Soon, most of the crowd was on their phones calling for help.  I heard footsteps running up behind us, and Mother came into view as she knelt across from me on Father’s other side.

“What happened, Jocelyn?” she asked, her attention focused on Father.

“I came out…and these guys came up…and then they shot him…” I tried my best to explain, but I couldn’t focus hard enough to explain any better than what had come out of my mouth.

Sensing that it was going to be hard to get any information out of me, Mother turned her attention to Father, checking his pupils. “Rai.  Rai, honey, talk to me.  Stay with me ok?"

Father blinked a couple times, looking up at Mother. “Kallen…”

Mother smiled at him. “I’m right here.  Help’s on the way,” she said, trying her hardest not to cry.

Father nodded, slowly raising his hand to cup her cheek.  Mother put both of her hands over his, trying and failing to not cry.

“You’ll be ok,” she said, the tears now starting to fall freely as mine began to fall. “You’ll be ok.”

The medics arrived soon after.  He got all the way to the hospital before he passed due to blood loss.  He must’ve known that he wasn’t going to make it; he had asked the nurse to tell us that he loved us and that he’d be watching over us.  It felt as if part of my heart had been ripped out.  He was my role model, my main source of support.  We did everything together.  He was my hero, I his sunshine.  Now, he was gone.

Many people showed up at his funeral.  I recognized most of them.  Many were from the organization called the Black Knights.  Even Zero made an appearance.  I recognized the friends Father had made during his time when he himself attended Ashford Academy.  Uncle Suzaku and Aunt Euphie were there with their son, Ichirou.  Even parts of the Britannian Royal family were present; it was hard to miss Princess Cornelia, one of my Knightmare pilot idols.

Afterwards, once Father had been properly laid to rest, I stood by his grave, the dirt having just be laid.  I felt like crying, but all the tears I could cry had been cried.  There was no more I could do to mourn.  He was gone, and I was here.  As I continued to stare at his grave, I felt a hand rest on my shoulder, snapping me out of my thoughts.  I turned and found myself staring at Lelouch, one of Father and Mother’s closest friends from their time at Ashford Academy.  His face held a somber look, one I saw his face wasn’t accustomed to wearing.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Jocelyn,” he said softly.

I looked back down at Father’s grave.  We stood in silence together before I found the strength to speak up. “Why?  Why did my father have to die?” I asked.

“I don’t know, but I will find out who did this, Jocelyn,” Lelouch said.  _As if words could do a damn thing to bring my father back, Lelouch._

I clenched my fists.  I turned on heel, leaving my father’s grave and Lelouch behind.  There were two people I needed to see.  Two people I knew would help me find the people who did this to my father, and they were both present.  It didn’t take me long, but I found Suzaku and Cornelia off to the side talking to each other.  Both looked at me surprised as I made my way to them.

“Jocelyn, what’s with the look of determination?” Suzaku asked as I got closer.

“Kururugi, is this the young Britannia?  Rai’s oldest?” Cornelia asked.

“Yes.  I am Jocelyn ri Britannia, eldest child of Rai vi Britannia,” I said, answering Cornelia’s question myself. “And I have a request for both of you.”

“Oh?  And what would that be?” Cornelia asked, turning her full attention to me.  I saw her Knight, Sir Guilford, make his way over to us.

“I want to be in the Britannian military to train as a Knightmare pilot under Sir Kururugi’s guidance,” I announced.

The three of them stared at me in amazement at my announcement, and so did everyone else around us that was in earshot.  It felt like an eternity waiting for an answer from either Cornelia or Suzaku.  _Was I right to announce it, here and now?  And what will Mother think of my decision?  She’ll probably try to talk me out of it.  She’ll-_

“Is this what you want, young Jocelyn?” Cornelia spoke up, ending the silence.

I looked at her, finding curiosity in her eyes as to my answer.  I found myself silently battling the question back and forth for an answer.  I hadn’t realize how much of an internal battle it was going to be, nor the fact that apparently it had been well past the time for an answer to the question.

“Well?” she asked, still waiting for an answer.

I looked at her deep purple eyes, suddenly seeing a look of confidence hiding deep behind her stern expression.  I pulled my shoulders back, not letting her intimate me any longer. “Yes.  I want to be a Knightmare pilot, just as my father and mother before me.”

She looked at me, waiting for me to change my mind, before smiling. “Well then, welcome.  Though, only part of your request will be accepted.”

That through me for a loop and caught me off guard. “Wait what?  What do you mean only part of it?” I asked before mentally slapping myself for asking out of line.

“You will train to be a Knightmare pilot, but I and Sir Guilford will be your instructors.  You will spend the next two years under our guidance with the occasional input by Sir Kururugi,” she announced, still smiling.

I looked at her, a surprised look on my face, before returning her smile. “As you command, Viceroy.” 

* * *

 

“Come on, Speeds.  Ease up.  This is only a training exercise,” I heard Bradford say over the intercom.

“Training or not, I’m not easing up.  You can’t ease up during a battle,” I replied, piloting my Knightmare into an attack that had Bradford’s pinned against the wall.  _Checkmate._

I stopped the attack just seconds away from damaging his Knightmare before retracting the arms.  We were only in training Knightmares, earlier models that have now since been declared defunct in current battle situations.  _Reminds me of the stories Uncle Suzaku told me of how he tried to make the world’s largest pizza with one of the very first models._ I disengaged from the Knightmare, allowing for the pilot’s door to open.  Once it had retracted out into the open, I jumped down, releasing my comm.  Bradford joined me soon after.

“Why do you always have to take things so seriously, Speeds?” he asked, taking his comm off.

The neutral face I had never left as I answered. “Because if I don’t, someone’s going to die.”

Bradford rolled his eyes, and we began our walk towards the command center.  It had been two years since the murder of my father.  After his funeral, I enrolled under Princess Cornelia’s tutelage in the art of piloting a Knightmare while finishing my education at Ashford Academy.  Due to the commitment of learning to pilot a Knightmare, it made making friends difficult.  In truth, the only peer I could come to really trust was Bradford, but it was only to a point with him.

“So, I heard that your final trial was coming up soon,” Bradford said.  He was never one for the silence that tended to accompany me.

I nodded. “Yes.  Two days.  Graduation is in a few days as well, so this part of my life will be coming to an end soon.”

Bradford frowned. “Yeah, but why do you have to be so…gloomy about it?  If you pass, then you’ll be the youngest Knightmare pilot under Princess Cornelia’s command!  Not to mention, you’ll have done it all while in high school,” he said, trying to cheer my spirits up.

I smiled a little.  There had been too few smiles in the past two years. “Yeah, you’re right Bradford, but I still have a long ways to go if I’m going to find who murdered my father.” Then the smile was gone.

A look of confliction appeared over Bradford’s face.  He knew how much it meant to me to become a Knightmare pilot, to be the best like my Uncle Suzaku, so that I could find out who had given the kill order.  It was the reason why I was here now, why I was working my hardest to become the best Knightmare pilot I could be.  I clenched my fists.  _I couldn’t save him, so now I must avenge him.  And avenge him I will._

We arrived at the command center, where Sir Guilford and Lloyd had been watching our earlier bout.  Sir Guilford stood to meet us.  You wouldn’t know it unless you had been around our training from the beginning, but Sir Guilford spent a lot of time training me to be where I was now.  _I owe him so much.  He’s the reason why I will succeed at my dream._

“Sir Guilford, Private Britannia reporting for duty,” I said, bowing to him.

“Sir Guilford, Private Sushiki reporting for duty,” I heard Bradford say, bowing to Sir Guilford as well.

“At ease.  Well done you two.  Britannia, keep up the intensity, and you’ll do just fine,” Sir Guilford said, the highest praise that I was going to get.

“Thank you sir,” I replied.  It had been a long time sing I beamed to praise.  The last time had been when Father used to praise me after our sparing bouts.

Sir Guilford looked at both of us before smiling. “Go on, and take the rest of the day off.  Your high school graduation is coming up, so go enjoy the rest of the day for yourselves.”

Bradford smiled, while I nodded. “Thank you sir,” I said before bowing to him.

Bradford joined me in bowing before we both left.  Once we were out of earshot, Bradford started to jump and down in joy.  I could feel his excitement at the additional freedom radiating off of him like he was the sun.

“Yes!  Speeds, let’s do something crazy with the free time we have today!” he shouted.

I rolled my eyes, allowing myself to smile a little. “Oh, alright.  I guess Sir Guilford did order us to enjoy ourselves.” 

* * *

 

Lloyd watched the young Britannia and her friend leave after Sir Guilford’s dismissal.  “So that’s Rai’s eldest?  The Knightmare pilot they’re comparing to Suzaku when he was that age?”

Guilford nodded. “A prodigy, just as his son Ichirou was.  Do you think she has what it takes to pilot Rai’s technology?”

Lloyd smiled and shrugged. “We’ve never been able to open it since his death due to it being DNA specific.  He wanted to make sure no one was able to recreate the technology until it was ready to be tested.  So it was just a luck of the draw that she would be that determined to become a Knightmare pilot as he and Kallen were.”

Guilford took a seat, clasping his hands on his lap. “Her exam is in two days.  We’ll have our answer then.  Is he ready to test her?”

Lloyd laughed, thinking about how interesting this exam was going to be. “Oh, he’s ready all right.  He’s been waiting two years for the chance to fight her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Soccet here. Thanks for reading this new adventure that had popped into my head. Recently, I got addicted to Code Geass and it's PSP/PS2 game Code Geass: Lost Colors. Sad part is that the game itself was only released in Japan, so there's no good English translation of the game. Sad right? Like really sad. Of course, with my mind, I just got so into the characters that I had to start writing my own story with them. Hope you like it! I've also got other works started, so hopefully I can keep a consistent update going with the others.
> 
> As always, enjoy!
> 
> Soccet


	2. Chapter 2

I retreated to my dorm room after having spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening with Bradford.  I dropped my bag next to my desk, pulling out my chair to take a seat.  Since Sir Guilford released us early, Bradford had planned every step of our next move to “maximize the fun.”  _I swear.  If he put nearly as much energy into his battles as he did planning all the “fun stuff,” he’d probably be getting better at his Knightmare pilot training._ I sighed, smiling a little at how hard Bradford tried to get me to smile more in public.  Everyone tried harder to get me to smile more, but, as Uncle Suzaku said, it was like I was becoming a mini-Todoh.  Rarely smile, all seriousness, which I took as a compliment.  The path that I had chosen didn’t require me to smile a lot; it required me to focus on attaining my goal.

I turned my head and looked at the mirror.  I smiled softly at my reflection.  A lot of my features I gained from Mother, but I could still pick out the traits that Father had passed on.  One was the way my hair didn’t flair out like Mother’s had when she was my age.  She used to tell me how she would spend hours flattening it as part of a persona she first had during her days at Ashford Academy, only choosing to dawn the natural look after the introduction of the Special Administrative Zone.  On the best of days, it would remind me of Father’s.  The second were the slight silver streaks that would appear.  Father’s hair was silver like a shiny bullet, and it made me glow with enthusiasm whenever a new small sliver would appear.  It showed how much of a combination I was of Father and Mother, and I bore that combination with pride.

As I stared at my reflection, my eyes began to drift over towards the two pictures I had hanging up in the corner of the mirror.  The first featured all of us together.  Katsu was eight, I thirteen, when the picture was taken.  We were on one of our many vacations, and Father insisted on taking a picture of all of us.

_“Let’s remember this great adventure together!” he had proudly proclaimed, having planned the entire vacation by himself._

A bystander had taken the picture, and as I looked at it, I couldn’t help but smile one of my more rare genuine smiles.  I was standing in front of Father, the innocence of an early teenager, with Katsu standing off to my left in front of Mother.  Father’s arm was around Mother’s shoulders, his right hand resting on my shoulder, while Mother had her arms wrapped around Katsu’s shoulders.  The picture of a perfect family.  _If only we could go back to that._

The picture below it was a happy one as well, one of the few happy ones since Father passed away.  It was taken on Katsu’s twelfth birthday, right after I had passed my second Knightmare pilot trials.  I had just gained my own pilot’s suit, curtesy of Lloyd and Ms. Cecile, and Katsu had begged me to wear it to his birthday party so that he could show his friends.  I humored him, wanting him to be as happy as he could be.  _His happiness for mine._ In the picture, I had Katsu on my back; he was throwing a peace sign at the camera.  My mother was on my right, her arm throw around my shoulders as I leaned into her.  I smiled as I looked at the picture.  _She doesn’t smile that genuinely anymore, just as I don’t.  Katsu smiles so much to make up for us._

I leaned back against my chair and looked out the window, watching the sun starting its descent into the horizon.  As I watched the day end, I couldn’t help but think about how life had steered me to where I was now.  The silence around me was comforting, and slowly, my hand drifted up to my father’s Lancelot key.  Mother had looped it onto a necklace, just as she had with hers.

_“No matter where you are, your father will always be with you.  Now, you just have something to carry with you,” she had said as she put the necklace on me._

I hadn’t removed the key since.  I was going to make Father proud of my decisions since his passing.  I was going to surpass him as a Knightmare pilot.  I was going to find his murderers.  I was going to avenge him.  I stood and moved to the window, closing it slowly as the rays of the sunset began to fade.

_No one will stop me._

* * *

Today was the day.  Today was the day of my final Knightmare trial.  I was sitting in the locker room, my pilot suit already on.  I was adjusting my comm when Bradford walked in.  He was dressed in his military uniform, a smile playing on his face.  I rolled my eyes, already knowing that he had something planned.  He could never keep a straight face when it came to surprises. 

“Do I even want to know, Bradford?” I asked.

“Maybe you do.  It might be a good luck charm,” he said as he sat down beside me and pulled out a bag of my favorite candy.

I chuckled. “Thanks, but not hungry right now.”

He shrugged, tearing open the bag. “Fine, more for me.  Nerves got you?” he asked as he shoved a handful into his mouth.

I looked at my hands. “I guess.  I just want to get this done and over with really.”

He nodded, swallowing the candies he had just been chewing on. “I heard that there’s some higher ups that are going to be in attendance.  Also, I heard that your opponent’s not one of the pushovers they’ve had before by special request of Princess Cornelia.”

A smirk appeared on my mouth. “That so?”

Bradford frowned at my smirk. “You need to be serious, Speeds.  This is your final exam, meaning if you don’t pass then you’re stuck with me for a lot longer.  You never know when that cockiness will get you into trouble.”

I rolled my eyes, a smile playing on his face at my reaction. “You know better than to tell me that I shouldn’t be so cocky, Bradford.  I don’t care who’s out there; I will beat them,” I told him, standing up.

He stood up with me. “I guess you’re right.  I don’t need to tell you not to be cocky, Speeds.  You’re already cocky enough.  Besides, what makes you so sure you’ll beat them?” he asked, stuffing the candy into his jacket.

I wrapped my hand around Father’s key before tucking it under my shirt. “Because I am Jocelyn ri Britannia.  That’s why.”

I left the locker room and began to head towards the Knightmare hanger, knowing that Bradford was smiling as I left.

* * *

The hanger itself was quite busy as I entered.  A lot more scientists were here.  Bradford did say that a lot of higher ups were going to be in attendance.  As I got closer to my station, I realized that my Knightmare wasn’t in its dock.  _What the hell?  Where’s my Knightmare?!_ The sudden drop of fear in stomach felt like a boulder.  _This can’t be happening.  Not today.  NOT TODAY OF ALL DAYS._

A whistle from my right brought me out of my fear-induced thoughts.  I turned to see Lloyd waving me over to him.  With him was Ms. Cecile and…Mother?  _What was Mother doing here?_ I began to walk over to him, curiousity taking over my movements.

“Yes, yes.  Come over here, Ms. Jocelyn.  It’s so good to see you,” Lloyd said, a rather mischievous smile playing on his face.

“Sir Lloyd.  Ms. Cecile.  Mother,” I said, nodding to all of them. “What’s going on?  And do you know where my Knightmare is?”

“Actually, I do know where your Knightmare is, but that isn’t the Knightmare model you’ll be using today in your exam,” Lloyd answered.

I’m pretty sure the face that I was giving him was one that read like I was talking to a psychopath.  Ms. Cecile bowed her head and apologized. “Sorry; Lloyd can be…Lloyd sometimes.  And what he means is that we have a different Knightmare model for you to use during your final trial.”

“That’s right.  It’s the-Hey wait!  What’s me being me supposed to mean?!” he asked, looking at Ms. Cecile.

Mother sighed as she watched the two bicker.  She then turned her attention to me, stepping closer and putting her hand on my shoulder.  I looked at her; she looked more at peace than she had been in a long time. “What they’re both trying to say is that Lloyd’s been fine tuning your father’s old Lancelot model for the past year in preparation for your final exam so that you could pilot it,” she said, a small smile appearing.

I looked at her surprised. “Lancelot 2.0?  Really?”

“It’s the Lancelot Club!  For religion’s sake, why doesn’t anyone follow my names for MY Knightmare models,” Lloyd grumbled, turning his attention to his charts.

Mother smiled at him before returning her attention back to me. “Yes.  Suzaku’s key worked perfectly, so that’s how they were able to test all the new upgrades without using your father’s key."

I placed my hand over the key, seeing Mother smile when I made the gesture.  _They did this all for me.  So that I could show how much of Father I have in me.  How much I am of my father._ Tears began to well in my eyes, and I hugged Mother tightly.

She wrapped her arms around me to return the hug. “Go get them,” she whispered in my ear before releasing me.

I smiled and jumped into the pilot’s seat.  It lifted quickly, and soon I found myself inside the Lancelot 2.0.  I took Father’s key off, inserting it into place and entering the code I knew by heart.  He would always tell me a story that would incorporate the code, and when I had finally asked him why, his answer was simple.

_“One day, you’ll have to use it.  Might as well know it now and remember it,” he had said with a smile on his face._

_Today’s the day Father.  The day that I surpass you._ Systems powered up, and the monitors came alive.  Ms. Cecile’s picture came up on the right-most screen.  In the background were Lloyd, who was busy watching the monitors, and Mother, who was watching me through Ms. Cecile’s screen.

“Systems are online.  Prepping for launch now,” I announced, the platform maneuvering into place. “Lancelot 2.0-“

“Club!” I heard Lloyd yell in the background.

“-ready for launch,” I said.

“Lancelot, launching,” Ms. Cecile said, a smile gracing her face.

_Time to go kick some ass!_ I put the 2.0 into full throttle, rocketing out of the hanger and out into the arena.  Boy, did it have speed!  It was faster than the fastest model I had piloted, but it handled like I had been piloting it for years.  The way it sped out of the tunnel, I was surprised to find myself in the arena so quickly.  I pulled back on the throttle and gazed out in amazement.

Bradford wasn’t kidding.  The amount of people who had come to watch MY final trial was amazing; I hadn’t seen the arena as packed as it was now.  The jumbo screens were even up and broadcasting.  _Was this being broadcast to all the areas and the Homeland?_ I didn’t have much time to think when I saw the three purple Gloucester Knightmares in front of me.  Princess Cornelia and her Guard. 

I positioned the 2.0 towards them, slowly approaching due to my lack of knowledge on whether they knew I was the one piloting or not.  When Sir Guilford and Sir Darlton positioned themselves in front of Princess Cornelia, I knew that they didn’t know it was me.

“Pilot, you are ordered to stop and open your pilot hatch by orders of the Viceroy of Area 11, Princess Cornelia,” Sir Guilford announced.

I did as he instructed, stopping the 2.0 a few meters away from them.  _Hopefully they don’t shoot me as I show my face._ I disengaged the pilot’s seat, allow it to open in the back and for me to stand up.  A collective gasp filled the arena, and I caught a glimpse of the jumbo screen as it zoomed in on me.  The stern look on my face, the resemblance I shown of my mother; I could see why there was such a loud gasp.  No sooner had I stood did the popping sounds echo from the Gloucesters, signaling that their pilots were going to make an appearance as well.  Sir Darlton and Sir Guilford were the first to stand, followed by Princess Cornelia.  All three had a smile on their face when they looked at me; I bowed in recognition.

“Viceroy Cornelia, Second Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire.  Private Britannia, reporting for duty,” I announced.  It came to no surprise that I heard a few mumblings at the mention of my lineage.

“Private Britannia, today is your final trial to be fully recognized as a Knightmare pilot.  Do you understand the responsibilities of being a Knightmare pilot in the Holy Britannian Empire?  Do you so pledge your allegiance to the Empire and understand the risks that will be placed upon you?” Princess Cornelia asked.

“I do, Viceroy.  I pledge my allegiance to the Holy Britannian Empire, to serve as a faithful soldier and to defend his Highness’s rule with my life,” I announced.

In the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but think about how my life ended up at this point.  Pledging myself to the Britannian Empire, the empire that at one point both my father and mother had fought against.  I remember the conversation I had with Mother as if it was yesterday.

_“Joce, are you sure about this?  Yes, you’re part Britannian, but you’re also part Japanese,” she had said as she leaned against the counter._

_“I know, Mother.  I didn’t forget the stories Father and you told me about your time with the Black Knights, and I’m grateful for my heritage.  But this is something I must do.  If I don’t, then I won’t forgive myself.  I could’ve stopped them, but I didn’t.  Now, Father is dead, and I must avenge him,” I explained, not wanting to budge an inch in the argument._

_She had stared at me for a long time, the internal battle raging long and hard, before she spoke up. “Ok.  If this is what you want to do, then I’m going to support you.  I won’t like it, and trust me I don’t, but I’ll support you because this is your choice.”_

Princess Cornelia smiled at me. “Then let us begin,” she said.  _It’s now or never._

Suddenly, an object landed, a boom noise following its landing.  Wind pushed out, sand followed, due to the speed as to which the object landed.  I turned my head to face it, fear and confusion filling my body.  _What was going on?!  Are we under attack?!_

“Nice of you to finally join us.  You are her opponent after all,” I heard Sir Guilford say.

I looked at him then back at my opponent.  I could now tell there was a Knightmare in front of me, but as to what model it was alluded me as the dust began to settle.  It had such a familiar stance, a familiar presence to it.  The unlocking of the pilot’s hatch resounded throughout the arena, and the Knightmare’s pilot stood up to face us.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” the pilot said, causing a smile to appear on my face.  _It couldn’t be, could it?_

“Welcome, Sir Kururugi, Personal Knight of Sub-viceroy Euphemia li Britannia, Third Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire.  Are you ready to battle Private Britannia?” Sir Darlton asked.

Uncle Suzaku looked at me, smiling. “I am.  Let’s go, Joce.  Let’s just see who the better Knightmare pilot is,” he said before reentering his Lancelot.

“Yes, let’s see, Uncle,” I said, reentering the 2.0.  _Man, today was my lucky day!_

* * *

 

He watched from afar, at one of the higher most points of the arena.  Many were here to watch the young Jocelyn vi Britannia conduct her final trial to become a full fledge Knightmare pilot under Viceroy Cornelia’s command.  She was an idol to many young children, a symbol of hope and determination since her father had passed two years ago.  He smiled to himself as the trial began.  He needed that type of hope and determination; he needed Jocelyn vi Britannia to become the Knightmare pilot she was destined to become.  And so he watched from afar as she battled Sir Suzaku Kururugi.  _She is the key.  Soon, she will be the one they need her to be._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pow! Second chapter is out. Leave the kudos, comments, the such!
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can Jocelyn keep up with Suzaku in her pursuit to become a Knightmare pilot?

“You better not hold out on me, Joce,” Uncle said as he began to launch another series of attacks.

His Lancelot model was on par with Father’s, but it was obvious just who had the more experience in battle.  It was a challenge to keep the battle from becoming a boring back and forth battle; I relished at the challenge to keep it entertaining.  Uncle knew better than most that I wanted to defeat him; not even Ichirou was able to.  As I continued to dodge and send a counterattack, I continued to note his battle movements.  Uncle may be one of the best, but even he was predictable.  Every attack, every dodge; they were all calculated.

It was then that I saw my opening.  I slammed hard on the throttle, heading straight for Uncle.  _If my calculations are correct, he’ll dodge to his right and send both of his slash harkens at me._ And boy, was I right.  Uncle swerved hard to his right, sending both of the harkens towards me.  I swerved hard to the left, ducking under the harkens.  _I have you now Uncle!_ His reaction time was slower when he was caught off guard, and I slammed hard into his Lancelot.

“Careful!” I heard Lloyd yell through the open channel.  Ms. Cecile chuckled as she continued to watch the status of the 2.0.

As we careened towards the wall, the Lancelot’s arm start to come down towards me.  _It was easy to tell by the movement that Father and Uncle had once trained a lot together; this was one of Father’s moves._ I immediately stopped the 2.0 and reached out to grab Lancelot’s arm.  I swung with as much strength as I could muster out of the 2.0, sending Uncle towards the other side of the stadium.

A thud, crash, and an angry scream from Lloyd over the comm later, I was hovering over Uncle, sword drawn and aimed at the head of Lancelot. “Do you concede?” I asked over the external intercom.

A silence drew over the stadium as the audience awaited his answer.  Sweat began to run down my back.  It was the most intense, most waited for, time of my life; all of my future rested in Uncle’s hands.  _Please, just concede, Uncle.  Please.  This means the world-_

“I concede, Private.  You’ve won,” I heard Uncle say, stunning me into silence.

Silence continued for a few more seconds before the eruption of applause exploded from the audience.  I smiled, returning my sword to its sheath and helping Uncle to his feet.  From the screen that featured Ms. Cecile, I could see Mother wiping her eyes as she cried with happiness.  A smile brighten Ms. Cecile’s face at my accomplishment.

My accomplishment.  I had finally done it.  I was a Knightmare pilot!  _I’m a Knightmare pilot now, Father.  I’m one step closer to avenging you._ I smiled to myself as I disengaged the pilot’s door.  A hissing noise followed as it opened and slid my seat out into the open.  I stood, looking at the stadium, and the applause increased in noise.  _They were cheering for me.  For me._

A hissing noise emanated from the Lancelot, and soon Uncle made his appearance, a smile on his face. “Well done, Jocelyn.  You earned that victory.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” I heard Princess Cornelia say from behind me.  I turned to face her as she and her guard approached us.

A wave of her hand, and their seats began to descend towards the ground.  I sat in my seat, intending to do the same, when I saw a small compartment was open.  _Huh, must’ve opened during the battle._ I reached into it, pulling out a small block that was decorated in the 2.0’s colors.  I turned it over in my hand, wondering where it was supposed to go.  _I hope it’s not to anything important._  I quickly tucked the piece into the small pocket of my jacket as I began the descent to the ground.  _I’ll have to ask Lloyd about it later._

I followed suit, lowering my pilot’s seat to the ground.  The applause had died down considerably, waiting for Princess Cornelia to speak.  I exited my seat, putting the necklace that held the 2.0’s key back around my neck and under my shirt.  _Back where it belongs, close to my heart._ I hurried over to wear the Princess and her guard were waiting, Uncle soon joining us.  I bowed then stood at attention as the Princess watched me.

She smiled softly. “Private Britannia, it is my privilege to announce that you have passed your final Knightmare trial.  You are hereby ordered to report to Sir Guilford following this ceremony for your first assignment as Warrant Officer Brittannia, third guard under my command,” she announced loudly, a collective gasp echoing through the stadium.

I stared at her, hoping that my mouth wasn’t hanging opened.  _Did she…did she just do what I think she did?_ I quickly realized all eyes were on me and bowed to the Princess. ”I am honored, Princess Cornelia, to serve under your command.  Thank you for giving me this chance,” I said.

She nodded in approval, heading back towards her Gloucester.  Darlton followed her lead while Guilford walked over to me.  He placed his hand on my shoulder and smiled. “I’m proud of you,” he said as Uncle joined us.

“So am I.  You deserved that win,” Uncle said, wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

I smiled at both of them.  My instructor and my inspiration.  Both congratulating me.  Both praising me.  _I can’t believe that the first steps done.  I’m a Knightmare pilot, Father.  A Knightmare pilot just like you and Mother._ I was pulled out of my thoughts as Guilford lowered his hand.

“Now then, I suggest you return your Knightmare to the hanger.  Princess Cornelia has approved of the next six days for leave as your high school graduation is approaching.  It’ll give you enough time to spend with friends and family before you start your first assignment,” he said, his face becoming more serious.

I stood at attention and saluted him. “Yes, sir.  Understood.”

Guilford smile again. “Dismissed, Warrant Officer.” He turned and returned to his Gloucester.

As I watched him leave, I felt Uncle adjust.  I looked at him and found him watching me.  I gave him a confused look to which he began laughing at.

“What?” I asked.

He smiled. “You just remind me of your father, Joce.”

I smiled at the compliment, lightly punching his side before heading back to the 2.0.  I climbed into the pilot’s seat and waited as it ascended to the cockpit.  As it made its ascension, I pulled out the weird piece I had found earlier.  It was the size of my palm, half of it in white and half in blue.  As the pilot’s chair engaged with the cockpit, I looked around.  There weren’t any noticeable holes present that would fit the piece, which made me cautious as to where this piece came from.  I placed it back into my pocket.  _I’ll be back near Lloyd in a bit; maybe he’ll have some answers._

I quickly activated the 2.0 and piloted it back towards the hanger.  My sensors detected Uncle’s Lancelot following us, and I smiled.  Since the Zone’s creation, there hadn’t been too many battles that needed Uncle’s attention, so he had spent most of his time by Aunt Euphie as her Knight.  It had been awhile since he had been in the area, so I knew he was following me to visit with Lloyd and Ms. Cecile.  I docked the 2.0 in its station; Uncle docked the Lancelot into the station adjacent to mine.

Disengaging from the cockpit, I didn’t wait for the pilot’s seat to make its full descent to the ground.  I jumped out and ran over to Mother, who held her arms out in a welcoming hug.  I launched myself into her arms and hugged her tight; her arms wrapped just as tightly around me.  I knew this had been hard for her to watch, her allegiance to the Zone and to the Black Knights, but I was grateful that she put aside those feelings for a moment to let me accomplish my dreams.

“I’m so proud of you, Jocelyn,” she said, leaning back so that she could look at my face.

I smiled at her praise.  She gave me one more tight squeeze before letting me go as Uncle approached.  He nodded to Mother. “Kallen.”

“Suzaku,” she said, nodding back.  There was always a slight tension between the two, but I could never figure out why.  _It’s probably due to the fact that, even after eighteen years, the Black Knights and the Britannian military still don’t get along._

Lloyd practically skipped over to us, wrapping his arm around Uncle’s shoulders and pulling him into a side hug.  Ms. Cecile smiled as she patiently waited for her own hug.  Uncle rolled his eyes, moving Lloyd’s arm before walking over to Ms. Cecile for her hug.  Lloyd watched the two before turning his attention to me.

“That was splendid work, Ms. Jocelyn.  And congratulations on the promotion; it’s well deserving indeed,” he said.  Ms. Cecile nodded in agreement.

I placed my hand over the 2.0’s key then looked at Lloyd. “Thank you.  Especially for the work done on the 2.0.  It handled like a dream,” I said.

I smiled when the slight irritation ran across Lloyd’s face, but he quickly regained his composure. “It was my pleasure.  Now, shouldn’t you be going?  That much leave must be used appropriately,” he said with a smile on his face.

I nodded and looked at Mother.  She smiled, and we left the hanger happier than we had been in a long time.  It felt good to feel this happy, this accomplished, yet in the back of my mind, something felt wrong.  I couldn’t shake the feeling, even after Mother drove the both of us home.  Not even Katsu’s enthusiastic tackle, his contagious laugh, could push the thought out of my mind.

Later that night, as I laid in my childhood room, I watched the stars out my window.  _This feeling…something’s coming.  I don’t know what, but I have to be ready._   The thought was on my mind, even late into the night as I drifted off into sleep. 

* * *

 

He stood on the hill that overlooked the countryside.  Just off in the distance was the Britannia house where Jocelyn ri Britannia slept.  He watched as her mother, Kallen Kouzuki Britannia, left the front porch after spending the past hour watching the stars.  He continued to watch the house for the next ten minutes before his phone rang.  He looked down at the caller ID and answered.

“Yes?”  He listened to the caller talk for five minutes, explaining the situation, before replying, “No.  Everything is going exactly as planned.  Start the next phase, but remember:  Jocelyn ri Britannia nor her family is to be harmed.  They are the key to this plan.”

He hung up his phone and continued to watch the house.  Soon, he felt another presence beside him.

“Are you sure she’s the one?” the new arrival asked, her voice soft.

The man nodded. “Yes.  But we’ll wait until after her graduation to make our move.  Hopefully, everything can wait until then.”

The woman smirked. “You of all people know how easily fate changes its mind.”

The man smiled and turned away from the house, beginning to walk away. “I know, C.C.”

* * *

 

Graduation came faster than I had anticipated.  In reality, I wasn’t really as ready for graduation as I had been for my Knightmare trial.  Everyone at school had seen my trial on tv; it had even made it back to the Homeland.  Congratulations were in abundance when I arrived the day after the trial, and they hadn’t relented since.  Now I stood in my dorm room for the last time, the last of my things already packed away in Mother’s car, and looked at myself in the mirror.  The robes matched the colors of our uniforms, and it made my nose wrinkle.  _At least the guys have nice uniforms and robes with the black.  I never have and never will like this puke-looking yellow they had us dressed in._ I had asked Milly, one of Mother’s friends from her time at Ashford Academy, why her grandfather had insisted on the yellow, but I couldn’t remember exactly what she had said other than tradition. 

I sighed, sitting down on my bed.  This part of my life was about to end.  Tomorrow, I was to report to the Research Division to meet up with Lloyd in regards to the 2.0.  Princess Cornelia had insisted that I continue to pilot it, so Lloyd had done some additional upgrades and tinkering to it to make sure it was up to the highest standards.  Tomorrow, I was going to begin my career as part of Princess Cornelia’s Guard.  I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.  _No pressure, right?_

A knock on my door snapped me back to reality. “Who is it?” I asked.

“Just me,” I heard Bradford say as he opened the door.  He was the only real friend I had at Ashford Academy.  He had been placed in the same Knightmare training program that I was in, but he was a year younger than I was.  He smiled as he sat beside me. “Nervous, Ms. Suddenly-Popular?”

I nodded slow. “I mean, who wouldn’t be in my position?”

“Me,” he said, laughing as he tried to ease my nerves.

I rolled my eyes and smiled a little. “Yeah right.  This time next year, you’ll be pacing around like a maniac thinking about what you’re going to be doing for the rest of your life.”

He lightly punched my arm. “Come on; I’ll be in the Britannian military with you, kicking ass.  Now, what’s really bothering you?  You weren’t nearly as nervous when it came to your final trial.”

I looked at my hands. “The expectations I had for myself up until this point were mine alone.  Now…now I’ve got everyone else’s expectations on my shoulders, and it’s…it’s really intimidating.”

I stood up and walked over to the mirror.  There stood just a normal-looking girl who was getting ready for her high school graduation, not a Warrant Officer of the Holy Britannian Military who just so happened to be the daughter of two of the most famous Black Knights.  I groaned, rubbing my face at the thought of all the expectations the people of the world had for me and my success.  As I continued to think those gloomy thoughts, I felt Bradford wrap his arm around my shoulder as he leaned into my right side.  I dropped my hands and looked at him, his smile wide across his face.

“Come on, Speeds.  This is YOU were talking about.  Jocelyn “Speeds” ri Britannia, Warrant Officer under the command of Princess Cornelia, pilot of the Lancelot 2.0.  You’re the only one to best Suzaku Kururugi, the White Knight, in combat.  You can do anything you can set your mind to; you always have!” he said, the smile never leaving his face.

I looked at the mirror again.  I started from the bottom and raised my head until I was looking at my eyes.  That look of determination that bore through my body made me smile.  _Bradford’s right.  I’m Jocelyn ri Britannia, and nothing will stop me from achieving my goals._  I looked at Bradford, smiling my cocky smile at him.

“Thanks Bradford.  You’re right,” I said looking back at the mirror. “I can do anything that I set my mind to.”

Bradford smiled wider, if that was even possible. “That a girl!  Now, smile!” he said, whipping his phone out and turning the camera on.  I smiled and threw up a peace sign as he snapped a picture. “Now I have proof that you can smile.”

I rolled my eyes and looked at the time.  _It was time._ “I have to go, Bradford.  I’ll see you later,” I said as I opened the door  
As I went to leave, I felt Bradford grab my hand.  I turned and look at him.  His face had suddenly gone serious on me.

“Do me a favor?” he asked.  I nodded. “Keep in touch.”

I smiled, pulling him in for a hug. “Always.”

He hugged me back before letting me go.  I gave him one last smile before turning and running off for the gym.  _Today’s the last day of this part of my life.  Starting tomorrow, the real battle starts.  Look out world; Jocelyn ri Britannia is coming for you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Leave kudos, comments, and the such! Feedback is always welcomed.
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet


	4. Chapter 4

The elevator down to the Research Division was long and nerve wracking.  I was dressed in my new Warrant Officer uniform, my pilot’s gear packed away in the bag that rested on my shoulders.  I ran my fingers over the 2.0’s key before tucking it away underneath my shirt.  _Today’s the day.  The first day of the next part of my life._ I smiled as the doors opened and took a step out into the hallway.  Scientists rushed back and forth, discussing their own projects to their companions.  I took a left turn, walking down the hallways and looking at the signs on the doors.  I finally came upon Lloyd’s, knocking before entering the office.

His office was a large space, organized more like an apartment than an office.  He was currently laying on the couch to my right, and Ms. Cecile was sitting at the desk to my left, typing up different documents.  Lloyd sat up fast when he heard the door close behind me, a smile on his face.

“Welcome, Jocelyn.  Ready for your first day as a part of the Holy Britannian Military?” he asked.

“She’s been a part of the military for a couple years, Lloyd,” Ms. Cecile said, her focus still on the screen as she spoke.

Lloyd stood up and stretched. “Yes, but today’s the OFFICIAL full-time day.  Come now, Cecile, we have work to do.”

As he began to walk past me, my hand brushed against my pocket.  _Oh, right.  The block._ I pulled the small piece I had found in the 2.0 out of my pocket. “Hey Lloyd, I have a question for you,” I said.

He stopped and turned to look at me. “Oh?”

I held up the piece. “Is this a part of the 2.0?  After my trial with Uncle, as I was getting ready to descend, I found an opened compartment, and this was in it.  It was just sitting in there, and I didn’t know if it was an important piece or not that had just been misplaced.”

Lloyd took the piece and looked it over, a puzzled look on his face. “This…this isn’t anything that I’ve seen before.  And I built the Lancelot Club,” he said, placing the piece back into my hand. “Hold onto it; maybe we’ll find out where it goes to later.”

I nodded, placing the piece back inside my pocket, and followed him out into the hallway. “Where are we going?” I asked, keeping up with him and Ms. Cecile as fast as I could.

“Well, this is the Research Division, and Lloyd wanted you to see all the projects we are currently developing.  The Lancelot and the Lancelot Club both originated from this division under Lloyd, so we thought it best to include you for any future Knightmare projects,” Ms. Cecile said, slowing her pace so that she could talk with me.

I nodded as we entered a rather large room, one that was twice the size of the hanger I had been in before.  There were all kinds of interesting, yet weird, projects throughout the room, but one caught my attention.  It didn’t have anyone around it; the lights around it were off.  I walked over to it, ignoring Lloyd’s current ramblings on one of the projects.  As I moved closer, I saw that it was a large cube, a small hole on the side facing me.  I stepped around it; nothing was telling me what this project was or what it was for.  It was then that I realized Ms. Cecile had followed me over.

“Who’s project is this?” I asked, moving towards the “front” of the cube.

When I didn’t get a reply, I turned to face her.  She wouldn’t look at me, her face obviously in pain and sadness.  I moved slightly so that she could look just at me and not the project. “Ms. Cecile?” I asked.

She took a deep breath then stood straight up. “The project was your father’s.”

I looked at her in confusion. “What?” I asked, seeing Lloyd moving over to join us.

His face dropped when he realized where they were, sighing as he answered for her. “I got your father access to the labs to work on one of his projects.  He never told me explicitly what it was outside of the fact that it was supposed to ‘revolutionize the Knightmare frame industry.’  I assumed that he had almost completed it as the only portion missing from it was that small part hole.  We were never able to access the cube’s full intentions due to DNA restrictions your father had put in place.” His face grew grimmer as he continued. “The day that he died, I had called him, pleading him to tell me why it was so secretive.  The last thing he had said before that…event… was that whoever the project was meant for was going to know how to use it.  No one has claimed it since his death.”

I turned and looked at the cube, confusion filling my essence.  _What were you were working on, Father?  How was this…cube…supposed to revolutionize the Knightmare frame industry?_ I continued to look at it when Lloyd disrupted my thoughts.

“Come now, let me show you a different project that your father and I developed together,” he said as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders, leading me away from the cube.

He walked me over to a Knightmare frame that was reminiscent to the Lancelot, but it had a darker feel to it outside of the color.  The feeling that emanated off of it made me feel uncomfortable. “Lloyd, what is that?” I asked.

“I’ve called it the Banisher.  Your father and I were creating several models similar to it for the Knights of the Round, each having its own schematics to match that of its pilot, but the Banisher was the only one we were able to get built and running before his death.  It was supposed to go to the former Knight of Eleven and current Knight of One, Arata Shushiki,” he explained, a proud look on his face.

My attention popped up at the name. “Bradford’s brother?”

Lloyd nodded. “The one and the same,” he answered, a smile on his face that quickly turned into a frown. “Unfortunately, progress to complete the project has slowed considerably since your father’s death.  I’ll never admit it publicly to anyone, and I don’t think Rakshata will either, but your father was a genius Knightmare frame inventor.  Most of the technology here is based off his designs.  Such a brilliant man.”

I looked back at the Banisher.  _If Father helped to create this, then why does it give such an…evil feeling?_ ”Has anyone else helped work on the project?” I asked, taking a step towards the Knightmare frame.

“A young man by the name of Veector Rashain.  Not as brilliant as your father was, but he’s the main reason why we’ve gotten the Banisher up to the current standards.  Young Veector has been spending several weeks recently trying to figure out how to fix a rather troublesome problem coming from the weaponry.  The Knightmare moves spectacularly, but until we get the weaponry running, we can’t send it off to Sir Shushiki,” Lloyd explained, his hands resting on his hips as he looked at the Banisher.

Suddenly, the alarms started to sound. “Warning:  enemy forces have begun to attack!  Warning:  enemy forces have begun to attack!”

The building begun to shake, even as we were miles underneath the mountain to which it was located in.  I turned to face Lloyd and Ms. Cecile, both with fearful expressions on their faces. “What’s going on?!” I asked, running over to them.

“This division is supposed to be top security clearance secret!” Ms. Cecile said, pulling up her datapad. “The defenses are holding, but at this rate, they’ll be breaking through in fifteen minutes.”

I looked at the Banisher and then back at Lloyd. “Where’s the 2.0?” I asked, different plans running through my mind.

He shook his head. “The damage from the trial required repairs.  It’s too far away to be of any use,” he said turning his attention to Ms. Cecile. “Any support?”

She flipped through screens and shook her head. “Too far out.”

_The cube.  Use the cube._

I turned my head around at the voice.  No one was behind me; Lloyd, Ms. Cecile, and I were the only ones left in the room.  I turned back around to see Lloyd and Ms. Cecile looking at me. “What’s wrong, Jocelyn?” Lloyd asked.

“I…I thought I heard a voice.  It said…to use the cube,” I said, trying to deduce what the voice meant if it was helpful at all.

Lloyd looked at me confused. “Your father’s cube?  There’s nothing to use!  There’s not even a key!” he shouted, frustration and confusion mixing together.  He turned to Ms. Cecile. “Order the evacuation.”

As they started to get everyone in the building to the evacuation points, I moved over to the cube.  There was only the small hole on the one side; nothing else was evident.  It was just a cube with a hole in it.  I leaned down to take a closer look at the hole.  _Wait a minute…that looks big enough for…_  I pulled out the small piece I had recovered from the 2.0, looking it over.  It was the right size, the right color scheme, for the cube.  _Just maybe…_ I slowly inserted the part, clicking it into place.

“Now I wonder-“I started to say as the cube began to change its form. “What the?”

Suddenly, it reached out to my arm, wrapping around my wrist until what looked like a rather large bracelet formed.  I reached down, trying to find some way of pulling it off to no avail.  It was stuck on my wrist, and I had no clue as to what the thing did.  As I struggled to pull it off, Lloyd and Ms. Cecile made their way over to me.

“What happened?!” Lloyd asked, his eyes wide as he stared at the bracelet.

“I don’t know!  That piece I had found in the 2.0 fit the open space on the cube, and it just had a mind of its own and attached itself to my arm!” I said as the alarms continued to blare around us.

Ms. Cecile grabbed my arm, looking over the bracelet thing. “It seems to be some controller, but it doesn’t seem to be currently operational.”

I looked at her confused. “How can you be sure?  I mean, the thing practically leapt at me with a mind of its own!”

Ms. Cecile dropped my hand, confusion on her face. “I don’t know what to say really.  The only one that knew what the cube itself did was your father, and, as Lloyd said, we only knew that it was supposed to ‘revolutionize the Knightmare frame.’  We couldn’t see how that it could without a key, unless it’s sporting a keyless feature,” she said, naming off differing options.

I looked at the bracelet as we began to make our way out into the hallway, the shakes of the building getting worse as the enemy attacks were worsening.  Then it hit me as I looked at the nook that was on the underside of the bracelet.  _That looks like a keyhole._ My hand went to the 2.0’s key.  _Father, did you know I would be the one to figure it out?_ I looked at the bracelet before turning to face Lloyd and Ms. Cecile as they looked at me in curiosity.

“I know what I have to do,” I said before taking off in the opposite direction. 

I headed for the closest hanger, whose location I had noted on my way to Lloyd’s office.  I barraged into the room, opening the outer doors.  I looked at the bracelet as Lloyd and Ms. Cecile ran in after me.  The wind rushed into the hanger, blowing my hair back.

“What are you doing?!” Lloyd yelled, covering his eyes as he fought against the wind to keep his eyes on me.

I looked at him before taking off the 2.0’s key. “Finishing my father’s work.”

I inserted the key, and the bracelet came to life.  Its screen lit up, revealing a holographic numeric pad that asked for a code.  I entered the 2.0’s code, and the bracelet accepted it. Suddenly, the bracelet/controller announced, “DNA confirmed.  Welcome, Jocelyn ri Britannia.”

_You did know._ I smiled at the thought as a new screen arrived in place of the numeric pad, and it featured several different Knightmares.  I scrolled through them, arriving at one that looked similar to the 2.0.

“Here goes nothing,” I said as I chose the Knightmare.  A rush of light, a feeling of lightness, and I found myself on a stage of some sorts.

“Lancelot Speed, online,” a computer voice announced as I started to regain my sight.

I looked around, the screen in front of me turning with my movement.  I looked down, seeing Lloyd and Ms. Cecile looking back up at me at amazement.  I lifted my hand and moved it in front of my face, finding that as I moved my hand another hand moved with it.  _Wow.  I…I’m in a Knightmare, but…but I’m controlling it with my own movements.  Father…what did you create?_

“That’s…that’s amazing!” I heard Lloyd shout from below me. “Jocelyn!  You’re…you’re a Knightmare frame!”

I shook my head slowly. “No, I’m still me, but I’m controlling it with my own movements.”

Lloyd gazed up at amazement. “It’s following your nervous system in accordance to your body’s movements.  By god, Rai, you fantastic genius!”

An alarm announced overhead that the enemy had finally made their way through the last of the division’s defenses. “I’m sorry, but Ms. Britannia, you must launch now.  We can’t let them gain access to the projects!” Ms. Cecile yelled, pulling Lloyd back from the launch bay.

I nodded, moving the Lancelot Speed onto the launch bay. “Lancelot Speed,” Lloyd squealed in the background at the mention of the name, “launching.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! It feels so good to be back and writing again. Hopefully everyone enjoyed the new chapter; the next few days are going to be real busy as I start to move into my new apartment. As always, enjoy!
> 
> -Soccet


	5. Chapter 5

_It was the first day of school after Father’s death.  Everyone knew about it.  Everyone knew who I was.  Everyone avoided me as best they could.  Everyone but Bradford.  He was the comedian of the school.  He was the one who could get a smile on everyone’s face.  Everyone but me.  I didn’t want to smile.  I didn’t want to laugh.  I didn’t want to be at Ashford Academy.  It had been a month since the funeral, two weeks into my training to become a Knightmare pilot.  Yet, here he was, trying his hardest to get me to laugh at some joke he had made up about turtles._

_“What’s your deal?” he asked as he took a seat in front of me.  We were outside the Student Council Clubhouse where I had taken a seat on the steps._

_I looked at him, mildly angered. “What the hell do you think my deal is?  I lost my father over a month ago, and here you are trying to make me smile when I obviously don’t want to smile.”_

_He cringed slightly at my remarks. “Sorry.  It’s just…no one should frown in their lifetimes.”_

_I rolled my eyes. “People are going to mourn.  Are going to be sad.  Angry.  Frowns are going to happen.  Why do you think that they shouldn’t happen?”_

_He smiled. “Because, if there’s someone like me who wants to make you smile, then they shouldn’t ever appear!”_

_I looked at this boy, this kid who thought he could change the world with laughter._ Does he really think he could change the world with laughter? 

_I continued to look at him when I heard a small swooshing sound come towards my head.  My hand shot up to catch the incoming projectile, a rock.  I looked down at the pebble as it rested in my hand then turned my attention towards the direction it had come from.  Three boys were standing not too far away, fearful expressions covering their faces as I stood up._

_“Leave,” I said, a stone cold expression on my face as I continued to look at them._

_They immediately turned tail and sprinted as fast as they could.  They were gone within a matter of minutes, but I didn’t take my seat again.  I dropped the pebble and proceeded to pick up my book bag._

_“Wow.  That was…you’re like super fast!” Bradford exclaimed as he leaned back on his hands._

_I ignored him and made my way down the steps towards the dormitory.  I had just hit the last step when Bradford spoke up again._

_“Same time, same place, Speeds?” he called._

_I stopped in my tracks and turned to look at him. “Don’t call me that.”_

_He smiled at my reaction to the name. “Whatever you say, Speeds.”_

_I glared at him before turning my attention back to the walk towards the dormitory.  For the next two weeks, he would follow me, calling me by that nickname that eventually stuck.  Everyone was calling me Speeds by the end of the month, and matters only grew worse at the time when I found out he had been selected to be my partner in the Knightmare training program.  Here was a goofball who wanted nothing more than to goof off partnered to a determined individual who had a certain goal set before her.  Who would’ve known that he was what I needed to get through some of the toughest times during those next two years?_

* * *

 

Any thought about the 2.0 being fast was completely thrown out the window; the Lancelot Speed was faster.  It shot out of the hanger with double, maybe even triple, the speed that the 2.0 had, yet the handling was as easy as the 2.0’s.  Blue skies and black smoke greeted me as I reached the outside.  I slowed in the turn, facing the mountain to gauge the amount of damage the enemy had inflicted. 

It wasn’t good.  Several Knightmares, older generation Sutherlands by the looks of them, were hitting the defenses hard.  It looked as if there was an entire battalion of Sutherlands was hitting the base.  _This isn’t good._

“Ms. Britannia, do you read?” I heard Ms. Cecile’s voice come on over my comm.

“I read you, Ms. Cecile,” I replied as I positioned the Speed to the closer turret.

Her video came up on my right hand side as the Sutherlands came into view. “Ma’am, please do be careful.  This technology has never been field tested before, and we don’t know what the capabilities are.”

I nodded. “Understood.  Engaging weapon systems now.”

Two slash harkens fired from their placements on the chest of the Speed and quickly dispatched two of the Sutherlands.  The third began to intercept, but the Speed was too quick for it.  I had already pulled the arms off the Knightmare before it locked in on my previous location.

“Did you see that speed?!” I heard Lloyd shout over the comm.

The next two turret stations were relieved of enemies just as quickly as the first.  The Speed was already outperforming the 2.0 by a large margin.  _And to think that Father was the one to design it…what else did he have planned for it?_

My thoughts were quickly interrupted by a large shout that came from above.  I quickly maneuvered out from underneath the incoming Knightmare as it plunged into my previous location.  As it rose, I took up a defensive fighting stance.  A Vincent model that has seen its fair share of battles.  A laugh emanated from the Vincent’s comm.

“Well, well, well.  One of the Britannian punks actually managed to find a Knightmare frame to pilot, huh?  Too bad it won’t last long against my Vincent,” the male voice said as the Knightmare took up an offensive stance.

My hands clenched tight into fists. “By order of the Holy Britannian Empire and His Majesty, I, Jocelyn ri Britannia, order you to surrender.”

The laugh returned. “So you’re Jocelyn ri Britannia?  Well, today’s my lucky day.”

With a quickness that could have matched the 2.0’s, the Vincent launched towards me, its twin MVS drawn and charged.  Unfortunately for my opponent, I wasn’t piloting the 2.0.  A gasp emanated from the Vincent when its pilot realized the speed of his opponent.  My grip was on his left arm, my own MVS drawn and charged.  The shine of the blue reflected in the sun as I swung it down, detaching the arm from the main body.

“How?!” the pilot yelled as he maneuvered away from me.

I raised my MVS and took an offensive stance. “Speed,” I said, rocketing towards the Vincent and slicing the Knightmare in half.

The pilot’s cockpit ejection system activated right before the Knightmare exploded.  I sighed in relief; there had been enough death caused today, and I didn’t want to add onto it.  With their commander defeated, the remaining Sutherlands quickly dispersed back from the base.  From the comm chatter, they were equally surprised by the Speed and its abilities.

“Ms. Cecile, are there any more enemies in the vicinity?” I asked, surveying the damage to the closet turrets.  Thankfully, there were still some soldiers alive.

“All enemies have retreated.  Well done, Ms. Britannia,” she answered, her video coming up on screen.

I nodded. “Good.  I’m sending you my current location; there are guards and soldiers that need medical services.”

“Already on it.  Please, return to the hanger,” she replied before turning the video off.

I sighed, my body filled with exhaustion.  _This…whatever it is takes a great deal of energy.  Who knows what would’ve happened if I had to continue in this state._ I quickly turned back towards the hanger and raced the Speed back inside, careful enough not to cause any additional damage.  Lloyd and Ms. Cecile were waiting patiently on a metal platform.  Lloyd began to jump up and down in excitement as he watched the Speed slow to a halt.

“Magnificent!  Simply magnificent!  Your father was a genius, Jocelyn!” Lloyd started to exclaim.

I smiled a little then looked down at my hands, the motion mimicked by the Speed. “I don’t know how to get out of it though.  Any suggestions?”

As if reading my mind, a voice sounded around me. “Lancelot Speed, powering down.”

In a moment, I was on the ground back to normal or at least close to normal as could be.  The bracelet/controller thing still on my arm.  I tried pulling it off; still wouldn’t come off to my annoyance.  Lloyd and Ms. Cecile were on me as soon as they could climb down from the platform.  Ms. Cecile was checking over my body for any major changes caused by the transformation, while Lloyd busily started to inspect the bracelet/controller thing.

“Any thoughts as to how I can get it off?” I asked as I watched Lloyd.

He smiled at me. “None at all.”

I frowned. “Not very reassuring, Lloyd.”

Ms. Cecile rolled her eyes at Lloyd before returning her attention to me. “We’ll figure something out.  For now, we need to run some tests and alert Princess Cornelia.”

I nodded.  The princess needed to know, especially when I was charged as one of her guards.  I started to take a step towards the door and was instantly consumed with a feeling of dizziness.  Ms. Cecile must’ve sensed it as her arms were quickly wrapped around my waist as my body started to go forward towards the ground.

“I don’t…” was all that I managed to say before darkness took over my sight.

* * *

 

I woke up slowly, a pounding behind my eyes.  I groaned, my throat dry.  I sat up slowly, looking around.  The room was dark; a look at the nearby window showed that it was night.  I rubbed the back of my head.  _I wonder how long I’ve been out._ I swung my feet to the edge of the bed and stood slowly.  I didn’t fall over, so that was a success.  I looked around the room, and walked over to one of the doors that led to a bathroom.  A moment later, and I was ready to figure out what had happened while I was out. 

I walked back out into the room and back over towards my bed.  My jacket, which symbolized my status as one of Princess Cornelia’s guards, laid neat on the chair beside the bed.  I quickly pulled it back on, finding everything was still in its proper pocket.  It was then that I realized the blasted bracelet thing was still connected to my arm.  I sighed.  _And here I was hoping it was a dream._ Leaving the jacket unzipped, I left the room.  Realizing I didn’t really know where I was, I took a left and started to walk.

The hallways were hospital white and blank as could be.  Nothing was indicating where I was going, and it was already too late to turn back because I didn’t know where the room was at.  A few turns later, I found a staircase.  _Can only go up or down at this point._ Turned out, the way was to go up.  I didn’t bother with the next floor up; I took the stairs as high as they could take me.  I opened the door, finding myself outside on the roof.

The building was on a cliff next to an ocean; the breeze that accompanied the splashing of the waves was relaxing.  I stood by the edge of the roof, taking in deep breaths of the ocean smell, when I heard someone exit onto the roof behind me.

“Nice night out, but I don’t think the roof is the best place for you right now,” I heard a familiar voice say behind me.

I rolled my eyes and turned around to face Uncle Suzaku and, to my surprise, Ichirou.  Uncle had his uniform still on, but Ichirou was dressed in his casual wear.  I looked back and forth from them both before finally speaking up.

“What brings you both here, Uncle?” I asked.

Uncle took a step forward and placed his hand on my shoulder, smiling. “You know, you don’t have to keep calling me Uncle.  Our relation now is distances apart in the Britannian blood line.”

I shrugged. “You’ve always been there for us when we needed you to be, blood line or not.  You still haven’t answered my question.”

Uncle rubbed his thumb into my shoulder then dropped his eyes to the bracelet thing.  _Of course._ “Ichirou and I were part of the reinforcements sent to help defend the Research Division.  When we heard that you, in a brand new Knightmare frame moving at speeds unknown, had singlehandedly defeated the enemy, I was honestly quite surprised and impressed.  Then, Lloyd contacted us saying that you had lost consciousness soon afterwards, and I wanted to make sure you were alright.”

I nodded. “I’m fine, but I’d rather figure out a way to get this blasted thing off my arm,” I said, holding up the bracelet thing.

Uncle laughed. “I’m sure you do, but until we can figure out what it is and how to take it off, I’m afraid that it’s stuck there.”

I sighed and dropped my arm. “Yeah, kind of figured that one out already.”

Uncle smiled, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and turning to Ichirou. “Don’t you want to say hi, Ichirou?”

I looked at Ichirou as he stood in place.  He was almost a splitting image of his father, but the bluish violet eyes that stare unimpressed back at me were clearly from his mother.  I never could figure out why he felt so…superior when it came to me, but it never faded.  Unless he showed a different side when I wasn’t looking, Ichirou Kururugi would always be unimpressed with me.

“Hi,” he said, his expression never changing.

Uncle sighed and looked at me. “I swear, I think he gets his emotions from Lelouch.”

I stifled a laugh when Ichirou narrowed his eyes at his father.  Uncle smiled before he began to lead me back towards the stairway.  We returned to the ground floor and walked down a couple hallways before entering one of the rooms on my right.  Inside, Ms. Cecile and Lloyd were currently speaking with Sir Guilford about today’s events.

“Unfortunately not, Sir Guilford.  With Rai gone, we’re having a harder time deciphering some of the technology he left behind, including the Lancelot controller on young Warrant Officer Britannia’s arm,” Lloyd said to Sir Guilford.

Sir Guilford sighed before he noticed my entrance with Uncle and Ichirou. “Jocelyn, how are you doing?” he asked, putting his full attention on me.

I bowed. “Well, sir.  I’m ready to move when ordered.”

“That’s good to hear because we’re giving your first assignment.  The Research Division wasn’t the only division to be attacked.  Several of our other divisions in the SAZ were hit with ambushes as well; all of them were led by pilots in Vincent Knightmare frames.  After the attacks, large amounts of Japanese were reported missing,” Sir Guilford said, a grave look on his face.

My expression dropped. “How many?”

Sir Guilford looked down at papers he had in front of him that were off screen. “The number started to even out near two thousand.”

I felt Uncle take a step forward. “Did you say two thousand?”

Sir Guilford nodded and turned his attention back to me. “We don’t have any leads, Jocelyn, but we need someone to figure out where all of those people went.  Princess Cornelia believes that you are the best one qualified.”

I nodded.  _And I know just the person to talk to about finding a lead._

* * *

 

He sat on the edge of the higher cliff, watching as Jocelyn ri Britannia bade goodbye to the White Knight, Suzaku Kururugi, and his son, Ichirou.  He smiled as he was the two leave in their respective Knightmares before turning his attention to Jocelyn. 

“In the darkness, a single rose will bloom to shine hope,” he said to his guest as she sat beside him.

“Quoting that silly prophecy again?” CC asked, an amused smile playing on her face.

He smiled back. “She’s the one rose.  She and all those Knightmare frames packed away in that controller on her wrist.”

“How long do you think it’ll take her to figure out how to properly use it?” CC asked, leaning back on her hands as she watched the young Britannia head back inside the building.

He shrugged. “I don’t expect long.”

“You put a lot of faith in her and this prophecy, Shadow,” CC noted as her companion rose to his feet.

Shadow smiled down at her. “I am, aren’t I?  That’s why I have you here.  Is everything in motion for your meeting?”

CC nodded. “Will she be able to fulfill the contract?”

Shadow looked down at the building, specifically the window that was to Jocelyn ri Britannia’s room. “I know she can.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and leaving kudos! I've got a lot planned for this story, so keep tuned in.
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet13


	6. Chapter 6

It was a comfortable day out to be at the park.  Children were out playing on the playground, rushing past the bench where I had decided to wait.  I watched as they ran towards their parents and back to the playground, laughing with no care about the world revolving around them.  You could see the fear on the parents’ faces, the constant head-on-a-swivel as they kept an eye on their children.

News spread quickly following the simultaneous attacks on the divisions and the disappearance of the two thousand Japanese soon after.  The SAZ residents were up in arms about the lack of work into finding the missing residents.  _If only they knew._

I shook my head and looked down at the datapad that rested on my lap.  I had called Mother soon after I had seen Uncle and Ichirou off; I breathed easier that night knowing that both she and Katsu weren’t part of the group that had disappeared.  She had assured me that measures were being taken, both by the Princess Cornelia and the Black Knights, to ensure that they were safe, which I was grateful for.  Princess Cornelia knew how much my family meant to me, but I was suspicious as to why Zero was putting so much effort into my family’s safety.  I had a feeling it had to do with my parents’ involvement in the organization when they were younger, but even then, the amount of security he was willing to provide was strange.

A ping from my datapad brought me out of my thoughts.  I looked back at it, reading the message that had just arrived.  I rolled my eyes and looked up, seeing Bradford jogging towards me.  He smiled as he slid onto the bench beside me, his arm wrapping around my shoulders.

“Knew you couldn’t deal being without me for too long,” he said, that boyish grin plastered on his face.

I rolled my eyes. “Did you do as I asked?”

His face grew serious.  He pulled out a smaller datapad and held it up. “I did,” he said, the joy disappearing from his voice.  _Could only mean one thing._ “Took a lot of old contacts to get the information, and what we found isn’t pretty, Speeds.”

“How bad?” I asked, holding my hand out for the datapad.

He placed it in my hand and leaned back against the bench, crossing his arms over his chest. “Bad.”

I looked down at the datapad and began scrolling through the different information.  A list of those who had been reported missing.  Higher-level clearance details on the attacks on the other divisions.  Descriptions of technology that had been reported stolen.  Then a name came across my vision, peeking my interest.

“Your brother’s mentioned on here,” I noted, scrolling through the rest of the information.

Bradford nodded. “He was on his way to checking on a prototype when his detail was hit by three Vincents.” I could see out the corner of my eyes his fists clench his jacket. “THREE, Speeds.  And they didn’t even have any type Knightmare protection around them.”

“What’s his status?” I asked, setting the datapad down.

Bradford stood up. “He’s critical, but he’ll survive.  The rest of them who made it out are in worse conditions, but a majority of them were slaughtered.”

I ran my hand through my hair.  _The Knight of One ambushed?  It takes a great deal of planning to pull something like this off._ I stood and walked over to Bradford, placing a hand on his shoulder.  He took a deep breath before looking at me.

“We’ll find out who did this, Bradford,” I said, giving his shoulder a squeeze.

He nodded once. “Whatever you’re doing, I want in on, Speeds.”

I shook my head. “Not my call, Bradford, and you know it.”

I could see him clench his fists before he turned his attention to the ground at his feet.  I looked down at the datapad, looking through the data again before a location grabbed my attention. “What do you know about this warehouse, Bradford?” I asked, showing him the datapad.

He took it from my hand and looked at the information. “There was a big Refrain bust there if I remember correctly, but it’s been years since anyone’s been in there,” he said, handing the datapad back to me. “Why?”

I grabbed his hand and dragged him to my car.  Reaching in, I pulled out a map I had been working on for the past couple days since the attacks.  Drawn on it were the locations of the attacks, which I pointed out to Bradford. “See these?”

He looked at the map and nodded. “And?”

I pointed to the location of the warehouse. “See where the warehouse is?”

He looked at it then back at me. “So?  I don’t see your point, Speeds.”

I smiled. “Look at the location in relation to the attacks,” I said, moving my finger away.

Bradford looked at me skeptically before returning to the map.  His eyes widened when he realized the relation, a smile growing on his face. “It’s in the center.”

I smiled back. “A great point to relay information.”

* * *

 

We agreed to meet back up and search the warehouse that night.  I arrived at the docks earlier than he did, so I spent the time scouting out the surrounding area while also trying to figure out the controller, as Lloyd called it.  The surrounding warehouses held what was to be expected:  storage and goods for the companies that rented them.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  I made my way back to the rendezvous point far from the target warehouse and sat down, making sure I was in a spot that no one could see me yet I could see the warehouse. 

I looked down at the controller.  It was surprisingly light and was thin enough that it slid through the arms of my uniforms with ease.  I pressed a button, pulling up the Knightmare frame screen.  From earlier investigations since the attacks, I had learned that there were more frames that could be chosen from this screen.  The Speed; a heavier, defense-based frame; one that featured a new flight system.  From my count, there were at least ten different frames that could be chosen.  _And all of them were created by Father._

I frowned at the thought.  To put so much time into this controller and to make it so that only a select few could access it was disconcerting.  Each of the frames that I found on the controller were created with a specific design, and, by experience through the Speed, those designs put them above the rest of the Knightmares that were currently out now.  To think about what this controller was actually being designed for made me worry.  _Just what were you planning on using this for, Father?_

“Ready to go?” I heard Bradford ask softly as he came up beside me.

I nodded, closing the selection screen.  I rose to my feet, pulling my cap over my head. “Ready.”

He looked at me, concern written on his face.  I shook my head, already knowing what had made him concern.  We had more important things to worry about, especially if we were about to break into this warehouse.  His focus shifted, understanding my silent thoughts.  We made our way over to the warehouse.  This part of the docks didn’t have high security, making our job easier.  We made our way to the closest side door but found it locked.  I looked around, scanning over any opening I could find.  I smiled when I found a window, though out of reach, was open.

“Bradford, I need a lift,” I said, indicating the open window.

He looked up at the window and smiled.  Running over so that he was under it, he turned to face me and cupped his hands.  Sneaking around Ashford Academy late at night had perfected our stealth for nights like this.  I backed up and took a running start at him.  Jumping and landing a plant foot just right in his cupped hands, Bradford launched me up to the window.  I grabbed the sill, pulling myself in slowly and quietly.

Landing on a catwalk, I slowly made my way towards the door that Bradford was waiting by.  Looking around, I climbed onto the nearby crates and made my way down to the floor.  What I found by the door was disturbing.  A high-level security system that featured a sensing laser system was attached to the door’s frame.  _Good thing we didn’t try breaking through the door._ Pulling out one of the toys Lloyd had given to me before I had left for the warehouse, I placed it up against the system and watched it work its magic.  Within seconds, the system was down, and the door was open.

Bradford looked at me confused. “Everything alright?” he asked, seeing my concerned look.

I shook my head and pointed to the security system. “Someone paid big money for that,” I said as he took a step inside to look.

He shook his head then looked towards the warehouse.  It was bare, save for the few crates that I had used earlier to climb down on, and it was a large warehouse.  Seeing an office, I quickly made my way over to it as Bradford continued his search of the main area.  The office itself was almost as empty as the main area of the warehouse, but there were still some papers left on the desk.  I frowned when I picked up the first one.  List of the divisions in the SAZ; all of them had been hit by ambushes.   There was a map that showed the route Bradford’s brother had taken and was ambushed on.  I shook my head as I started to collect the papers, but the last one I grabbed surprised me the most.

It was a report on me.  The picture that was taken following my last trial, the one that marked me as a Warrant Officer of the Britannian Empire, was visible on the upper right hand of the report.  It listed everything that had happened up until that point, even my assignment to the Research Division.  Mother and Katsu were noted on it.  What frightened me the most was the final note at the bottom.

**_Do not harm under any circumstances by orders of Shadow._ **

_Who was Shadow?  Why were they doing a scouting report on me?  Are they behind the disappearances of the missing Japanese?_   I didn’t have the time to figure out the rest when I heard a man shout from behind me.

“Whatever you have in your hands, drop it and put your hands in the air!” he yelled.

I froze in place.  _Shit._ I didn’t have time to deal with this, and I wasn’t about to lose this information.  Running different scenarios through my mind, I realized I had two clear options, and the man behind me wasn’t going to like the one I had chosen.

Slowly raising my hands, papers still in my hand, I began to turn towards him. “I’m sorry sir.  I was just worried about why you have a scouting report on me,” I said, turning so that he could see my face.

Freezing in place when the recognition hit, he didn’t have a chance to react before my heel connected with his jaw, sending him flying into the wall.  I grabbed his dropped gun and made my way out into the main area.  I found two more men, their weapons trained on Bradford.  He walk kneeling in front of them, hands behind his head.  Seeing that they hadn’t noticed me or the commotion behind them yet, I snuck up quietly behind them.  Knocking one out, I pointed my gun at the second.

“Drop it now, or this’ll end ugly for you,” I said with a cold reserve as I aimed the gun at his head.

Sensing my seriousness, the second man slowly knelt towards the floor, setting his gun on the ground and raising his hands up.  I smiled a second before pistol-whipping him unconscious.  I dropped the magazine from the gun, releasing the chambered round, as Bradford stood up.  He rubbed the back of his head, which I could see was already slightly swollen from a hit.

“Thanks,” he said, smiling a small smile.

I shook my head. “Let’s get out of here.”

He nodded.  We took off towards the door we had entered, electing to dodge into one of the other warehouses for cover.  Due to my earlier scouting, I knew the perfect one to hide in.  The warehouse had a number of trailer trucks in it, and we climbed onto one that had part of its trailer underneath a rather large catwalk.  We had just moved underneath the catwalk when the three men from earlier came running in.

The man in the middle was the one I had knocked out in the office and seemed to be the one in charge. “Find her, and find those files!” he shouted angrily at the other two men.

They must’ve made five sweeps of the building, but we were too well hidden for them to find us.  Finally giving up in this warehouse, they left, but Bradford and I remained hidden.  It was ten minutes later before Bradford finally spoke up.

“What files?” he whispered.

Looking around and seeing the coast was clear, I pulled myself out onto the open area of the trailer.  I held the files out to him as he followed me out of the cover. “These files,” I said.

Noticing my brief answer, he began to look through the files.  A prominent frown appeared on his face as I watched him read the list about the SAZ divisions, the map that featured his brother’s route, and then the scouting report on me.  His hands clenched as he looked over the map and the report for a second time.

He looked at me with his anger-filled eyes. “They attacked my brother but deem you safe?  The hell!”

I narrowed my eyes at him, obviously seeing where he was going with his accusations. “Don’t you fucking start, Bradford.  I’m as surprised as you are by this, and I was the one to find it in the first place.  I want to know just as much as you do because they have mention of MY family in the report as well.”

Setting the files down on the trailer, I watched Bradford run his hands through his hair in an effort to calming himself down. “What do we do now?” he asked when his anger finally subsided.

I looked down at the file. “We find out why.”

* * *

 

I sighed as I walked up to my apartment door.  Tonight had been long, and it was looking as though I wasn’t going to get much sleep before having to report in tomorrow morning about tonight’s findings.  _Or is it already tomorrow?_ I shook my head, not wanting to think about how much time had passed.  I walked into the apartment, closing the door behind me and locking it.  It wasn’t large, but it was more ideal than what a lot of Japanese were currently living in. 

“Long night?” a voice asked as I set my cap on the table.

Fear rushed through me, and I grabbed the knife out of my leg sheath, taking up a defensive stance towards the intruder.

They stood up from their seat in the living room. “Relax, Jocelyn.  I’m not here to hurt you.  Actually, I’m here to help you,” they said.  _Female._

“Well, you’ll excuse me if I don’t very much trust you,” I said, not moving from my position.

The figure walked into the light that shone through my windows, her green hair catching my eyes.  She smiled as she looked at me. “I knew your father, young Jocelyn ri Britannia, and I’m here to help you find out who killed him.”

I slightly lowered my knife. “And just who are you?”

She smiled again. “You can call me C.C.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Plays climatic music in the background*
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet13


	7. Chapter 7

Leaning against my kitchen counter, I watched as my unexpected guest began to eat the pizza I had made for her.  She wore a black suit with a sleeveless black trench coat, yet somehow it suited her.  She smiled as she ate two pieces before picking up the third to inspect it.  It was then that she turned her gold eyes, _gold eyes_ , and looked at me.

“You have the same tastes in pizza as your father did.  Very plain,” she said before taking a bite out of the slice she was holding.

I smirked. “You still haven’t explained to me how you knew my father,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

Taking a drink of her water, she shrugged. “I was a part of the Black Knights when both he and Kallen were members.”

That peeked my interest. “Was?”

She leaned back in her chair as she turned her full attention to me. “It’s been some time since I’ve had any interaction with the Black Knights.  I’ve found…more interesting company to be a part of.”

I narrowed my eyes. “And what kind of company would that be?”

She smiled at my assumption. “Now, now, Jocelyn.  You know better than to ask me that silly question,” she said, picking up the last slice of pizza.

_Dodging the question.  This woman screams the signs of everything wrong._ “Then what brings you here?” I asked as I lifted my own glass of water to my lips.

Satisfied with the pizza, C.C. stood to face me. “As I had said before, to help you.”

I set my glass down on the counter beside me. “And what makes you think that I need your help?” I asked, crossing my arms back over my chest.

She smiled.  _I don’t like that smile._ “Maybe it would’ve helped you and your friend Bradford while you were at the warehouse earlier tonight.”

I froze in place, vaguely aware that I may have had a fearful expression on my face. “How do you-“ I began to ask, but she raised her hand to silence me.

“I know a lot of things, Jocelyn.  I know that since your father’s death, you’ve been on a vengeful journey to find out who killed him.  I know how, at your trials, you faced Suzaku Kururugi in your father’s Knightmare, the Lancelot Club or 2.0 as you call it.  I know that in the recent ambush on the Research Division, it was you piloting the Knightmare that moved at incredible speeds,” she said, listing off practically my life from the past two years.

I narrowed my eyes at her. “What do you want?”

Taking a drink from her glass of water, she smiled at me. “In truth?  I want to help you find out who killed Rai as well,” she said as she set her now-empty glass down on the table. “He was a very good friend to me during our time in the Black Knights, and I feel like I have a responsibility to help his daughter find his murderers.”

“And how are you going to do that?” I asked, skepticism heavy on my voice.

She straightened as she answered. “With a contract.”

I looked at her puzzled. “A contract?”

She smiled. “Yes.  In exchange for working with me to find your father’s killers and to fulfill my one wish in the near future, I shall grant you a power that only a select few in the modern era have ever came to know.”

_A power that only a few in the modern era have ever known about?  Just what kind of woman was I talking to?_ “You can understand if I’m not quick to accept your conditions, C.C.  I did, after all, just meet you tonight after you broke into my apartment.”

She smiled as she extended her hand. “Yet, I have a feeling that you’ll still accept the offer.”

I looked at her hand and quickly realized what the offer would do.  Ever since his death, I had put all that I had into finding Father’s killers.  To find out why he had to die.  I clenched my fists at the anger that had built inside me over the past two years; the hatred that had accumulated for those who were responsible.  I looked up at C.C. and knew that she was right.

I took her hand. “I accept the terms of your contract.”

She smiled, and suddenly I was in a white room.  I looked around; maybe room wasn’t the best term for where I was at.  Frankly, I didn’t even know for sure where I was at.  I spun around the other way, and it was the same sight.  _What just happened?_ Images began to flow around me and through my mind; none of them were making sense.  There were different people; a view of a two planets that were so close to each other; and there were strange occurrences happening in front of me.  _Just what the hell was going on?_

Then she appeared in front of me.  There wasn’t any color to her, but C.C.’s smile wasn’t too hard to forget.  Her mouth never moved, but she started to speak. “The Power of the Kings will condemn you to a life of solitude, Jocelyn.  Last chance to back out,” she said.

I smiled back. “If you know me so well, C.C., then you should know better than to suggest that.  I, Jocelyn ri Britannia, accept the terms of your contract and will give my life to fulfill it if need be.”

Suddenly we were back in my apartment, my hand still grasping C.C’s.  It took me a minute to adjust and for the surroundings to stop spinning.  I released my hold on her hand, taking a step back to lean against the counter.  I put my hand to my head, a small headache pounding behind my left eye.

“What just happened?” I asked after a minute.

C.C. continued to watch me from her spot. “The Power of the Kings was just given to you.  You now possess the power of the Geass, though only time will tell what power you were given,” she explained.

“Geass?  What do you-“ I started to ask when the living room window shattered.

Bullets began to rain through the window at us.  I tackled C.C., landing us behind the island.  Not wasting any time, I crawled over to her and opened up a secret compartment in the floor’s corner.  I pulled out my emergency side arm and two full magazines, loading one into the sidearm.  I made my way over to C.C., who had pulled herself up so that she was leaning against the island.

“Hit?” I asked, mentally counting the seconds in between rounds as they flew above us.

C.C. shook her head. “I’m fine.  We’re pinned unless we kill them.”

A short pause followed, and I was able to peer slightly around the corner of the island.  I counted five men, all with assault rifles.  I had plenty of ammo to take them out, but I need to time the shots just right.  Another round of fire erupted, and I pulled my head back.  I counted the seconds down, waiting for their next pause to reload or to check the apartment for us.

The firing ceased, presenting me with my opportunity.  I shifted on my feet, pushing myself out into the open.  What happened next was so strangely exciting that I couldn’t believe my eyes at first.  As I aimed my sidearm at the first man, a light red line seemed to travel straight from the barrel towards the middle of his forehead.  I pulled the trigger, and the bullet followed the path, hitting the man right where the line ended.  The line appeared as I looked at each of the remaining men; all were soon down with a bullet through their heads.  I stood up, amazed at my accuracy.  I had always been a good shot, but to have this accuracy, to have this efficiency in a firefight, was just unheard of.

Hearing a chuckle from behind me, I turned to C.C. standing and smiling at me. “Well, looks like your Geass powers seem to help your accuracy.  Only time will tell what else it does,” she said, walking towards me.

I shook my head, walking to the bodies of the men as I pulled out my phone.  The men were all dressed in black, standard assault rifles lying next to their bodies.  I pulled up the contacts, hitting the first one that came up on my phone.  As the call began to send, I noticed a patch on the arm of one of the bodies.  _That symbol…I’ve seen it before._ When he answered the phone, my eyes widened in realization as to where I had seen it before.

“What’s up?” Bradford asked sleepily.

“Get over here now; we’ve got a problem,” I said, hanging up as I stared down at the men.

I could feel my anger starting to boil.  There was only one other time I had seen this symbol before, and it was on the worst day of my life.  The day Father died, this symbol had been on the sleeve of the man who had shot him.  Now, they were after me.

* * *

 

She watched from a distance as Jocelyn talked with the young man who had just arrived.  _Bradford, if I remember correctly._ By the expressions on their faces, the trouble with these men went far beyond just tonight’s attack.  A ringing from her phone broke her thoughts, and she was surprised to find Shadow calling her.

“This is unexpected,” she said as she answered. “I was going to report to you soon.”

“Is she safe?” Shadow asked quickly, ignoring C.C.’s response.

She looked over at the warrant officer, who had gone inside for something.  “Yes.  Five men attacked us just after she received her Geass.”

She could hear him sigh over the phone. “Get her to a new location, but don’t reveal yourself to too many people.”

“What’s happened?” she asked, watching as Jocelyn came out with a bag and looked at her.

A short pause followed before Shadow answered. “He knows about her and the prophecy.  He’s begun to speed up his plan.”

C.C. frowned.  _This isn’t good.  It’s going to take her time to properly learn how to wield her Geass without my help._ “She’s won’t be ready if the plan moves to Stage 3 this early, Shadow.”

“I know,” he answered curtly. “There are contingencies for this specific reason, C.C.”

Jocelyn began to walk over to her, obviously curious as to who she was talking to. “I have to go.”

Understanding why, Shadow made his last statement brief. “Make sure she continues to look for those Japanese and learn how to use her Geass in secret.  You’re in charge of that training, C.C.”

With that, she hung up.  _Of course she was going to have to help in secret.  Not like she didn’t have experience with Lelouch and Rai in learning how to properly use theirs._

“Who was that?” Jocelyn ask, her friend coming up behind her.

“An associate who needed to know about tonight’s attack,” she replied, not going into anymore detail.

Jocelyn eyed her suspiciously before turning to talk to her friend.  As she paid attention to Jocelyn, she noticed that Jocelyn’s Geass was surprisingly different.  Instead of the red symbol of the Geass people, the one she had countlessly seen in Lelouch’s, Rai’s, and other contractors’ eyes, Jocelyn’s Geass shimmered in a purple haze that matched the young girl’s eyes.  It was easy to tell when a person’s Geass was active, but to see it this early and to blend in so well with the person’s iris was interesting.  _Well, well.  Looks like Jocelyn ri Britannia is just full of surprises._ C.C. smiled to herself at the thought of what the future entailed for her and her new companion.

* * *

 

I sighed as I dropped my bag onto the bed in front of me.  Due to Bradford’s family’s wealth, it wasn’t hard to find a place for C.C. and I to hide out in.  I hadn’t wanted her to tag along, but she insisted that she be close to me so as to help train me in using the Geass.  I sat down on the bed, rubbing the back of my neck.  Looking at the clock, I saw that it was close to sunrise. 

I rubbed my eyes, turning my head towards the door as I heard it open slowly.  “Still awake?” Bradford asked as he stepped inside.

I nodded. “Yeah.  Can’t sleep.  You?”

“Nope,” he said as he sat beside me. “What’s got you still awake at this hour?”

I laid back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. “Tonight’s events.”

He laid beside me, his attention still on me. “Yeah; you and that new woman had some night.”

“Her name’s C.C.  She knew my father,” I replied, looking at him.

His eyes widened.  I explained to him about the minor details she had given me about her interaction with Father.  Not once did he interrupt; he only laid there and listened.  I went on to explain that she wanted to help me, but I dare not tell him about the contract or my new Geass powers.  I didn’t want to get him any more involved than he already was, and without fully understanding this new power, I didn’t want to risk getting him hurt.  I told him about the symbols on the men’s jackets and how they were the same ones I saw on the jacket of the man who killed Father, the bitterness heavy on my voice.

Bradford frowned. “So it wasn’t enough to kill your dad, but now they’re after you too?”

“Seems that way.  I plan on checking in with Lloyd and Ms. Cecile today before going out to see my mother and Katsu.  I need to know what sort of security they have out there protecting them, and she needs to know about these men,” I said, sitting up as the sunlight began to pour into the room.

“Do you want me to come out with you?” Bradford asked, sitting up beside me.

I shook my head. “You have school, and I’m only going out to see my mother and brother.”

Bradford smiled and nudged me with his elbow. “Come on, Speeds.  It’s been forever since I saw your little brother, and at least you get to see yours,” he said, a slight bite to his voice.  _So he hasn’t been able to see Arata since the attack._

I placed my hand on his shoulder. “Fine, you can come with me if you promise me something.”

He looked at me confused. “What’s that?”

“You are NOT allowed to sing to the radio on the way out,” I said, a small smile making an appearance.

He smiled his goofy wide smile at me. “Oh come on!  You know road trips are so much better with my singing!”

I shook my head and stood up, my mind turning to the thought of the men and my new Geass powers.  _I have to find out who these men are.  Once I do, I’ll be one step closer to avenging you, Father.  I swear it on my life._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos! I'm glad readers are enjoying this as much as I am writing it.
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet13


	8. Chapter 8

“She’s home!  Jocelyn’s home!” Katsu yelled as he ran out to me.

I smiled, wrapping my arms around him as he nearly tackled me to the ground.  The twerp was nearly my height already, yet his heart was still that of a child’s.  That big goofy grin he had on his face was hard not to smile back to.  Putting him in a headlock, I rubbed my knuckles into the top of his head.  Squirming his way out of my grasp, he put his hands on top of his head, smoothing his bright red hair back into the fade he had grown accustomed to.

I looked around, expecting to see Mother come out when Katsu had announced my arrival. “Where’s Mother?”

“She’s on the phone with Ohgi,” he said before running over to Bradford.

I watched as they did their handshake, rolling my eyes at the sight of them.  _Those two are like two peas in a pod._ I smiled softly as I began to walk inside.  Katsu, being five years younger, attended the middle school portion of Ashford Academy while I was in school, so he regularly was able to spend time with Bradford.  Now that I had graduated, it probably meant that they’d spend even more time with each.  I chuckled a little to myself at the mischief that they would get into.  _Poor staff._

I closed the door behind me as I entered the house, my focus shifting to look for the security that was supposedly installed.  Princess Cornelia had several shifts of soldiers in a large perimeter around the house, but Zero had been adamant about supplying the security for inside the house.  The first room checked was the living room.  _So far so good._ I could faintly hear Mother upstairs on the phone, so I decided to move into the kitchen.

As I moved down the hallway towards the kitchen, I stopped at the sight of the family pictures hung up on the wall.  There was a picture of Mother and Father at their wedding.  There was a picture of when I was a toddler; I smiled at how much I looked like Mother at the time.  There was a picture of me holding a baby Katsu.  There was one of Mother, Father, Lelouch, Uncle Suzaku, and the rest of the Student Council.  Then there was a picture of all of the children: Uncle Suzaku and Aunt Euphie’s children, Ichirou and Jassi; Lelouch and Shirley’s son, Steiman; Milly and Rivalz’s daughter, Naomi; and then there was Katsu and I.

I smiled, turning to look at the picture.  It was the only picture that all of the children were together and smiling, even Ichirou.  Ichirou and I were the oldest of the group, followed by Steiman and Jassi.  Naomi and Katsu were the same age, though Katsu was quick to tell us that he was older by a few months.  I gently put my fingers on the picture’s frame.  _To think, there was a time where all of us didn’t have worries, didn’t have responsibilities that showed us the real world._ I frowned and shook my head before heading into the kitchen.

The kitchen was as it was before I left, neat and organized.  I smiled and shook my head.  _Katsu’s been in here again when he was bored._ For some reason, whenever my brother found himself bored and with no other options, he would come down to the kitchen and reorganize everything, neatly putting it back together in the span of about an hour.  The first time he did it was when he was five; Mother was so confused on where half of her things where, he had to reorganize it back for her.  Since then, she’s tried to keep him busy with as many extracurricular activities.

A soft tapping behind me, and I knew she had just walked into the kitchen.  I turned around to face her, a smile on my lips.  Time had been kind to Mother; she didn’t look as though she had given birth to two children, still looking as if she belonged in her twenties.  Her hair still had its flare, but it had slowly calmed down the past few years.  She smiled when she saw me, walking over and pulling me into a tight hug.

“What brings you home, Joce?” she asked as she slowly pulled away.

I looked around the kitchen again. “Just wanted to see if I could find the security measures that were put up in the house.”

Mother frowned. “Is this about the missing Japanese?”

“Kind of.  That, and it worried me that Zero was adamant about being the one to put the security in the house,” I said, taking a seat at the table.

Mother smiled softly, taking the seat across from me. “Zero’s a good man, Joce.  He’s done a lot to help see the SAZ grow to what it is now.”

I nodded. “I know, but still.  At least I know who’s in charge of the outer perimeter security.  I have a face to a name.  No one knows who he really is,” I said as I leaned back in my chair, my arms crossed over my chest.

Mother watched me for a moment before smiling. “What?” I asked.

“You’re just like your father.  Always wanting to know more about the world around them.  Why people do what they do; why things happen the way they do,” she said.

It was rare for her to smile when thinking about Father.  I knew she blamed herself for his death, but it was hard to convince her that it wasn’t.  In all fairness, I blamed myself more since I was the first to get to him.  _If I had been stronger or quicker, then maybe I could’ve…_   I shook my head.  I couldn’t think about the what ifs; they weren’t going to bring my father back.

The front door opened, and I could hear Bradford and Katsu run inside.  Mother smiled when the two ran down the hall and into the kitchen.  Saying their quick hellos, they each grabbed a water before running up to Katsu’s room.  I shook my head at their antics.  I remember Bradford mentioning that he and his brother hadn’t the best relationship, so Katsu was the closest brother figure he had.  Once they had left, I turned my attention back to Mother.

“So, Katsu said that you were on the phone with Ohgi.  How are they?” I asked, running my hand through my hair.

She smiled. “Well, actually.  Ohgi’s been named the new principal of Ashford Academy.”

My eyes widened in surprise. “That’s awesome!”

She laughed a little. “Yes it is.  It helps since both Reku and Seira are now both attending college.”

Ohgi and Villeta’s son and daughter, Reku and Seira, were a couple years younger than I, but both excelled at academics.  It didn’t surprise anyone when they were able to get into respectable colleges at the age of sixteen.  You could never find one without the other.

We smiled, opting to sit in silence with each other.  It had been a while since I had been able to talk with Mother like this.  It was great just to sit here with her and talk.  But the feeling dispersed when Mother frowned.

“Jocelyn, about these missing Japanese…I’m worried,” she said, leaning forward onto the table.

I raised my eyebrow. “I’m working on finding them, Mother.  We will find them.”

She nodded. “I know, but what worries me is that they were Japanese.  No Britannians were taken.  This is already causing some stress on the stability of the SAZ.  If we can’t find them soon, then this could lead to some serious problems.”

I leaned forward, listening to her words.  It was true; from the intel I had begun to gather, there was already rising tension from the lack of public awareness of our actions to find the missing Japanese.  We couldn’t risk putting something public out yet, for fear that would tip of the kidnappers.  What was worse was that I couldn’t calm my mother’s fears; that I was holding back secrets from her.  I wanted to tell her, but I couldn’t risk her or Katsu getting hurt because of me.

I reached out, putting my hands over hers. “We’ll find them, Mother,” I said, smiling. “I may be a Britannian soldier, but I’ll always remember my Japanese heritage.  I promise; we will find them and bring them home.”

Looking at my hands then at me, she smiled softly. “I believe you.”

* * *

 

The rest of the day went well.  My troubles seemed to dissipate, even if for a few hours.  I hadn’t realized how much I missed interacting with Mother and Katsu, how much this Shadow mystery and the missing Japanese had taken over my thoughts.  Yet, there wasn’t anything I could do to fully calm my nerves.  It was my mission to find the missing Japanese, and for some reason, this Shadow person was part of the problem. 

I sat at my desk, looking over the details of the files we had stolen from the warehouse, when I heard the door to my room open.  I looked up to find C.C. walking in with a pizza box in her hands.  I looked at her confused; she only smiled as she took a seat on my bed with the pizza.  Closing the files, I turned around in my seat to face her.  She ignored me for a moment, eating two of the slices, before she acknowledged my stares.

“What?” she asked, setting her pizza box down.

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Is pizza the only thing you’ll eat?”

She smiled. “It’s good.”

I rolled my eyes, turning back to the files.  _There had to be something in these files that would point me in the right direction._ I looked over the map again; maybe it had to do with the divisions that were hit.  Booting up my laptop, I logged into the Research Division’s database, scrolling through the information on the divisions that were ambushed.

“Interesting.  I didn’t think you had the clearance to access that database,” I heard C.C. say from behind me.

I continued to scroll through the information. “I don’t.  It helps to have experience breaking into databases and getting past securities in search of information you need,” I said simply, my eyes searching the information quickly.

I could hear the smile on C.C.’s voice. “So I assume you’ve done this before.”

I shrugged, opening up a file on the Security Division. “I had a lot of free time.  Could have made a lot of companies pay for how poor their securities were put together.”

Then I saw it.  Clicking on several links and bypassing the encryption, I found my lead.  A mysterious figure was reported to have accessed the main facility just before the ambushes began.  Quickly pulling up the damage reports of all the divisions attacked, I found that all of their outer security measures, ones that were specifically managed by the Security Division, were disrupted and down when the ambushes began.

_That accounts for why we were surprised.  All of our alerts were compromised prior to the start of the attack._ I quickly brought up the camera angles of the facility the day of the ambushes.  There were too many of them, and there was too much footage to go through; this was going to take me at least several days to scan through.

“Use your Geass,” I heard C.C. say from behind me.

I turned to look at her; she only smiled at her suggestion.  Looking back at my screen, I hit play for all of the videos.  I could feel the sensation of my Geass activating, and suddenly, it was as though all of the footage was moving in slow motion.  The red line, the same one I had seen during the shootout, was present, and it was guiding itself back and forth from the footage.  The moment it stopped moving, I pressed pause on the footage.  We had finally found the point in the footage where I could see his face, but I didn’t recognize him.

He looked to be in his late twenties; he was tall with shoulder length blond hair.  His eyes were dark brown, yet they felt wrong.  His essence felt off.  I didn’t know the man, but I could already tell I was going to have to deal with him in the future.

“Where did you get that footage?” I heard Bradford ask from behind me.

I turned to find him standing at the door, an anger I’d only see when talking about his brother after the attacks present on his face.  I looked back at the man on my screen then back to Bradford.  _He knows who this is.  If we can find him, then maybe we can get some answers on the missing Japanese._

“I’m logged on into the Research Division’s database.  All the databases are combined, so I’m able to find information from other divisions on just that database alone,” I replied, turning to face him fully. “Why?  Who is he?”

Bradford walked over to the desk, leaning forward as he rested his palms on the desk. “That’s Veector Rashain, the scientist that was helping to get Arata’s new Knightmare frame online.”

I looked at the footage, staring at image of Veector.  _This man is the one who was finishing Lloyd and my father’s Knightmare?  Then why would he sabotage the other divisions?_ Then the thought hit me.  I quickly stood up, grabbing my Warrant Officer jacket as I headed towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Bradford asked.

I turned and looked at him. “We have to get to the Research Division now.”

I didn’t bother explaining, electing to not waste any more time, as I headed towards my car.  I pulled out my phone, dialing Ms. Cecile’s number.  She answered on the second ring.

“Madam Jocelyn?” she asked.  I still wasn’t used to people addressing me as such since my Knight status had been made official after the attacks.

“Ms. Cecile, I need you to grab Lloyd and meet me at the Research Division,” I said, starting my car as Bradford and C.C. both got in.

I could hear shuffling in the background as Ms. Cecile began to move. “What’s going on?”

“Veector Rashain was one of those responsible for the attack on Sir Shushiki and the division attacks.  I think he’s after the Banisher,” I said as I sped down the road towards the main research facility, praying that I was wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the kudos and the views! I promise, more Knightmare battles will be on their way.
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet13


	9. Chapter 9

I stared up at the empty hanger, my hands clenched in anger.  The Banisher was gone, in the hands of Veector Rashain, and we still didn’t know what his motives were.  All that we knew was that whatever he was planning wasn’t good.  Lloyd and Ms. Cecile were currently talking with security, and Bradford was searching the hanger for any clues as to where Veector was heading.  I was absently watching him when my comm pinged for an incoming call.

I pressed the receiver, returning my arms to their crossed position over my chest. “Britannia here.”

“Updates?” Sir Guilford asked.  He was currently on his way with General Darlton and the Glaston Knights.

I bit my lip. “The Banisher’s gone, and from the testimony of the security guards, Veector had a small but experienced group with him.  Right now, we’re working on figuring out where he was heading.”

A silence followed before Sir Guilford’s response. “Understood.  We’re two clicks out.”

Pressing the receiver to end the conversation, I noticed Bradford walking towards me, a grim expression on his face.  He shook his head at my silent question, and I frowned.  _Nothing.  All of the video was compromised before their arrival, and they knocked the guards out when they arrived.  We have nothing to go on._ I rubbed my face at my frustration.  My first mission, and I was already failing.

A sudden ping on my comm caught my attention.  Pressing the receiver, I looked up at Bradford as I answered. “Britannia here.”

“Listen to me carefully.  I want you to go out into the hall and take a left.  No one is to accompany you,” a strange voice answered.

Bradford narrowed his eyes at my confused expression, but I shook my head.  I mouthed at him to stay here, motioning him to continue looking, and left the hanger, following the stranger’s directions.  He ended up leading me to an empty conference room far from the hanger.  By the looks of the room, it had been quite a while since it was last used.  In the corners were boxes of files.  _So even longer than I guessed if they’re using it as a storage room as well._

“Now step towards the other side of the room and face the door,” the stranger commanded, and I followed, my hand resting on the grip of my side arm.

I turned to face the door just as it opened.  I drew my side arm but was surprised to find C.C. on the other side of the door.  She entered, unconcerned about my weapon being trained on her, when a second figure entered the room, the door closing and locking behind him.  I narrowed my eyes, my eyes adjusting to the darkness, and familiarity registered in my brain.

It was Zero.  _What the hell was he doing here?  And how did he get in?_ C.C. smiled as I trained my weapon on Zero, my eyes narrowing at them both.  She looked at Zero then back at me, a small laugh escaping her.

“That won’t help you, Jocelyn.  If you listened to any of the stories that Kallen and Rai had told you when you were younger, then you would know not to raise a weapon towards Zero.  You’d never have a chance to use it,” C.C. said with a smile.

I looked at her then back at Zero before slowly lowering my side arm. “How did you two get in here?  Cameras may still be down, but clearance is still online.”

“There is a more pressing issue than how we got in here, young Jocelyn ri Britannia,” Zero answered, taking a seat in one of the conference chairs.

“The Banisher.”

Zero nodded. “Correct.  I know that Veector Rashain now has it under his command after working on it for the past year.  In truth, the Banisher has been operational for the past four months, its weapon system being completed two months after Veector began to work on them.”

_Not good.  If it’s operational, then we don’t have much time to find it._ “Why now?” I asked, my mind running a thousand kilometers a minute with possibilities and options.

Zero intertwined his fingers in front of him. “It seems that Veector has gotten himself into an interesting group.  One that has slowly been gaining ground for the past several years.”

I narrowed my eyes at Zero. “And that would be?”

“The Geass Order.”

My head tilted to the head slightly, half-confused and half-worried.  _The Geass Order?_ I looked at C.C., who looked away in sadness. “The Geass Order?”

Zero leaned back in his chair. “Yes.  It’s an order said to be able to grant its members abilities of extraordinary power called Geass.”

I felt the color rush from my face.  _How does he know about Geass?  Did C.C. tell him?  Could he have it as well?_ “How do you know about this?”

A chuckled emanated from him as he leaned forward. “It helps when you have friends such as C.C.  It also helps to do your own research, my young Jocelyn.  Tell me, have you figured out the true abilities of your own Geass yet?”

I felt my body go rigid.  _He knows.  How does he know?_ C.C. seemed to be taken aback by the sudden question as well as she looked at Zero with the same frightened expression as I’m sure I had on.  Zero didn’t move, his focus squarely on me, waiting for my answer.

“How?” I asked, not knowing what else to ask.

“It’s very easy to read a person’s body movements, their expressions giving away their true thoughts.  I could tell by how your body went slightly rigid, your pupils widening at the mention of Geass.  C.C.’s response to my question answered it for me.  So, tell me, what does your Geass allow you to do?” he asked, leaning forward on his elbows.

I raised my side arm, aiming it at Zero’s head. “I could very well prove it right now, Zero, but first, I’d rather know who was underneath that mask.”

Standing, Zero spread his arms wide. “Then fire away, young Britannia.  It shall break my mask, and you’ll be one of the few people to know my true identity,” he said, joyfully sounding. “But I should ask you first:  what would your father say about such a thing if he were here?”

I paused, shocked into place.  I’m sure Zero was smiling underneath that mask of his.  Here was the man that Father and Mother had worked with, someone they had put their trust into.  The consequences of me firing my weapon, all the options, ran through my mind as I lowered my side arm and slid it back into the holster.  Not only would Mother be horrified by my actions, but my shooting of Zero would only allow the tension in the SAZ to escalate.

“Now that we have that out of the way, I’d like to leave you with a hint as to where Veector may have gone with your missing Knightmare frame,” Zero said, his cloak closing around him as he pulled his arms back to his sides.

“And where would that be?” I asked as the door opened behind him.

“Shikine Island.”

* * *

 

Shadow was staring at his files, rubbing the sides of his head as he looked through the information.  To accomplish his task, more actions needed to take place, but he couldn’t go through until he knew that Jocelyn ri Britannia was ready.  The Order was getting restless with the waiting, but it was taking everything that Shadow could to keep them at bay, to keep them waiting.  Thankfully, Kamine Island’s progress was moving slowly, allow for Shadow to take advantage of the time excuse to its fullest.

A ringing from his phone broke him of his thoughts.  He looked at the caller id, recognizing it as C.C.’s code.  Attaching the phone to his ear, he answered. “What is it, C.C.?  I’m busy trying to figure out how to-“

“Zero knows about Jocelyn’s Geass,” she said quickly. “How the hell does Zero know about Jocelyn’s Geass?”

Shadow chuckled into the phone. “Because I told him.”

He could hear her frustration from across the phone. “And why would you do such a thing?”

“Because he can help you further her progress with Geass, C.C.”

“Have you forgotten that his Geass is through eye contact, Shadow?  If he were to reveal to Jocelyn that he has a Geass ability, then he would need to reveal his identity to her as well.”

Shadow leaned back into his seat, looking at the joint file he had on Zero, on Lelouch. “If the Order continues to push for the plan to move along to Stage 3, then she’s going to need to know, C.C.  She’s going to need as much help as she can get.”

“If you told Zero about her Geass, then do you also know that Veector has possession of the Banisher as well?”

That piece of information was interesting. “No.  I hadn’t heard.  How long has he had it?”

“Since last night, but from the sounds of it, he may be on Shikine Island right now with it.  You know how fast Zero gets his information from his Knights.”

Shadow chuckled. “Yes, yes I know.  I will probably be receiving information about that relatively soon, but keep me updated.  Veector was the contingency plan, and if he starts to get ahead of the original, then we’re going to need to push everything up.”

“Understood.”

Picking up Jocelyn’s file, Shadow moved it to the side as he looked down at the file he had on her friend, Bradford Shushiki. “Any word on Arata?”

“None that I’ve heard of.  Still in recovery, I do believe.”

_Plan B it is then._ “Understood.  If he’s not able to continue, we’ll have to continue with his brother.”

“Are you sure?  The boy hasn’t even passed his final Knightmare trial yet.”

“Leave that to me.  Again, keep me updated,” Shadow instructed before ending the call. 

The plan was coming together slowly but to have these outside factors wanting to push it further along than need be was infuriating.  He rubbed his temples, standing up and walking over to the window.  In the distance, he could see his researchers testing his new Knightmare frame, a smile on his face.  It was almost out of the testing phase, about to move into the final preparations.  Once it was finished, the only thing left to accomplish in his plan would be up to Jocelyn ri Britannia.

* * *

 

It was on rare occasions that I had the chance to fly.  I always enjoyed the experience, being high above the ground, the beautiful sights that accompanied my window whenever I would peer out it.  Though enjoyable, this trip was not as well received as my previous ones due to our destination.  When I had arrived back in the hanger, Bradford had already relayed his findings to Sir Guilford.  I could tell by his expression that he was as worried as the rest of us; there had been no indication, no sign, that Veector was planning anything behind the scenes.  Everything had been lining up spot on, marginal room for any error. 

_I watched as Sir Guilford left with Sir Darlton to meet with Princess Cornelia.  My fists clenched at the thought of letting down Sir Guilford, one of the few that had the most faith in me.  Sensing my frustration, Bradford waited until Sir Guilford and Sir Darlton had left and Lloyd was on the other side of the hanger with Ms. Cecile before speaking up._

_“Where’d you go?” he asked in a whisper._

_I shook my head, not wanting to risk getting him into further trouble. “Not the time nor the place.  If I tell you, then it’ll only drag you more into this with me.”_

_Bradford frowned. “Speeds, I’m already in this with you, so spill.”_

_I shook my head again, my eyes staring hard back at him. “No.”_

_“How am I supposed to help you if you don’t trust me?” he asked, his hands slightly raised in frustration._

_“Bradford, I do trust you.  That’s why I don’t want to tell you about where I went, but I will tell you I got some information on where Veector and the Banisher may be,” I said as I looked towards Ms. Cecile and Lloyd._

_That peeked his interest. “And where would that be?”_

_I looked at him, a small smile on my face. “Shikine Island.”_

Bradford yawned as he stretched out in his chair; he’d fallen asleep ten minutes into the flight.  I smiled a little at how childish he looked while he slept.  He was able to get his mother to let us use one of her personal jets to fly out to Shikine Island.  As I watched Bradford sleep, I pondered why he and his brother would willingly give up the life that their parents had made for them.  Their younger sister, Rashi, was the only one to actually enjoy the famous lifestyle that came with having two actor parents.  They could have anything they wanted, which was evident by the use of the house and the private jet we were currently riding in, but they chose to give that all up to become soldiers in the Britannian military.

I leaned back in my seat, smiling at my own thoughts.  Anyone could have asked me those same questions.  Financially, we were set, and Mother made sure that whatever we needed, we got.  I didn’t have to become a Knightmare pilot; I didn’t have to devote my life to finding my father’s killers.  Yet, here I was, a Warrant Officer in the Britannian military on her way to find a missing prototype Knightmare frame and to find out what happened to the missing two thousand Japanese from the SAZ.

“Madam Britannia, could you please move up to the cockpit?  Shikine Island is asking for military clearance,” the pilot announced over the speaker.

I stood, making my way up to the cockpit.  This was not surprising as Shikine Island held a rather large military base in the middle of the island.  Sliding the door open, the pilot smiled apologetically as I put my comm onto my ear.  I waved it off, watching as he patched me into his communications.

“This is Warrant Officer Jocelyn ri Britannia, third Guard of Princess Cornelia li Britannia, Second Princess to the Holy Britannian Empire,” I announced, my hands going behind my back as we continued our approach.

“Good afternoon, Madam Britannia.  Your credentials have been authorized, but may I ask as to the reasoning behind your visit?” a young man replied.

_Time to see how much he knows._ “I’m currently investigating the disappearance of two thousand Japanese from the SAZ, and my investigation has led me to Shikine Island.”

 A silence enveloped over the comms, and I smiled as the young man returned. “Understood.  Your vessel has been cleared for landing, and any resource we at Shikine have has been made available for your use.”

_Excellent.  Maybe it’ll go quicker to find Veector and then to the missing Japanese._ Turning off my comms, I headed back into the passenger cabin to find Bradford awake and talking with C.C.  She had insisted she tag along, which only made me question her real motives.  According to her, she was here to help me train my Geass, which I still hadn’t told Bradford about.  I sat back down in my chair, preparing for our landing, my eyes finding themselves looking out the window again at the blue water.  In a way, the ocean was like our current situation; it was ever changing, and the deeper you got, the more treasures that were waiting for you.


	10. Chapter 10

For being a small military instillation, Shikine Island had quite the amount of resources. The security for the island was interestingly tight, and all of the originals had some form of copy to go along with it. Several files were spread out over the table Bradford and I were using. It had been two hours since our landing, and we still hadn’t found a single lead. 

Rubbing the bridge of my nose, I glanced over towards Bradford. He had picked up a file I had just checked to give it a second glance, stealing his attention away from the other files. Making sure that he was focused on that file, I turned my attention back to the files on the table and activated my Geass. It was quicker to use it for the search than to do it by hand.

_There._ I grabbed a file that was on the other side of the table, scanning through the information. It made mention of Veector Rashain making an unscheduled visit three weeks ago, but he was nonetheless allowed to land and conduct his business. I read the rest of the report, looking for who had authorized his landing. _Sergeant Umini._

“Private,” I said, turning my attention to the young private who stood guard near the door. He snapped to attention. “I need to speak with a Sergeant Umini.”

The nervousness that appeared on his face indicated that I wouldn’t get that meeting. “Um…I’m afraid that’s not possible, Madam Britannia. Sergeant Umini’s out on a field exercise currently.”

Straightening up, I narrowed my eyes. “When did he leave?”

“Yesterday morning. They aren’t scheduled to return for another two days.”

I looked at Bradford; he nodded in understanding. There was a good chance that if we found Sergeant Umini, we’d find Veector Rashain. Grabbing the file, I walked out of the room, Bradford and the young private close on my heels. I headed towards the control room, my eyes searching. When I saw him, it didn’t take me long to close the distance.

Colonel Mizikun, the commander of the Shikine Island forces, stood by the large observatory window. As I got closer, I could see several Knightmares in combat. They were several prototypes that Shikine was in charge of developing for future uses, but by the ways that they were striking, it would be several years before they’d be operational for actual combat. Mizikun rubbed the bridge of his nose, clearly frustrated with the current status of the prototypes, when he noticed my approach.

“Madam Britannia. I hope your search has produced some results,” he said, turning to face me.

I nodded. “It has. I need to speak with Sergeant Umini. According to this young private,” I said, gesturing to the private as he stood at attention beside me. “The sergeant is out on a field exercise and isn’t to return for another few days.”

Gesturing to his right, Mizikun lead us over to his main computer. “Private Roa, please pull up Sergeant Umini’s file up on the holoprojector for me please.”

Private Roa nodded quickly, and soon Umini’s file was up for us. I narrowed my eyes at the long list of reports on him. _These are all behavioral reports, some dating back to when he had just enlisted._ The list continued, but suddenly cutoff any activity a year ago.

“How is this guy still in the military?” Bradford asked in amazement.

Mizikun crossed his arms over his chest. “Very skilled young man, but it has made me wonder as well. He came under my command a little over a year ago and had only one mishap before turning over a new leash.”

“Any Knightmare frame experience?” I asked, my thoughts bouncing off of each other in the back of my head.

Mizikun shook his hand. “None; never really showed an interest. He was more interested in getting his soldiers some experience out in the field.” A map replaced the file, a red circle appearing in the far right corner of the island. “His favorite spot to do his exercises is in this area, which is where is currently.”

I looked at the spot, pulling up a second angle of it. It was on the edge of island, a rocky area bridging land and ocean. I rubbed my jaw, pulling up a three-dimensional view of the area, when an interesting feature caught my eyes. Spinning the view around, I smiled when the feature became more apparent.

“Do you see what I see, Bradford?” I asked, turning my attention to him.

He nodded, a smile on his face. “That looks like a cave.”

* * *

 

He knew no one would find him as he made his way down the hallway. There were more pressing matters than a man that looked like one of them made his way down to the head examiner’s office. No one would pay mind to the man who had a large agenda in mind. 

Pressing in the code for the door’s security, the door slid open. The gentleman in the chair stood, confused as the stranger walked into his room. The file in his hand was set down, and his attention went fully to the gentleman. The examiner knew every face of his employees, and this was not one of them.

“Who are you?” he asked the stranger.

The stranger smiled, taking small steps forward, his hand reaching up to remove the necklace from around his neck. The necklace was placed, in his pocket, serving its purpose of changing his voice so that he could maneuver outside of his office. Taking his glasses off, the lens darkened so that no one could tell how his eyes glowed red, the stranger looked at the head examiner with a smile on his face.

“My name is not important, but what is important is that you listen to me,” the stranger replied, the smile still on his face. “You are to have Bradford Shushiki take his final Knightmare trial in two days in a match against an opponent that cannot win against him.”

The red rings that appeared around the head examiner’s eyes glowed as the command reset his brain. “Understood. I will let Mr. Shushiki know of the changes immediately.”

The stranger smiled. “Excellent. Now I really must be on my way then. Other tests need to be run.”

He turned and left, his necklace slipping back on around his neck. No one noticed him walk in, and they didn’t notice him leave either. Just the way he liked it. Once he was far enough away, he pulled his phone out of his pocket, dialing a number he had memorized by heart. There were three rings before a beep answered.

_Voicemail._ “It’s done. His exam’ll be in two days.” Short, sweet, and to the point.

He closed his phone, climbing into his car, when his eyes started to float over to an old picture. He didn’t know why he’d kept it, but he had. And there it was, staring him in the face. He leaned back in his seat as he continued to look at it, wishing that he could see her again. He wished he could go back to her, to change all of what had happen these past couple of years. Yet, here he was, still hiding from her. Taking the picture, he threw it into the glove compartment of the car.

“Soon. Maybe then I’ll see her again.”

* * *

 

The entrance to the cave was large, but it wasn’t large enough for a Knightmare of the Banisher’s size to fit into. I stood at the entrance, a flashlight in my hand, as C.C. and Bradford made their way over to me with two of the soldiers Mizikun had assigned to me. The rest of the attachment he had sent with us were currently standing guard at the top of the hill, ready to take action when it presented itself. 

Bradford looked at the cave’s entrance and whistled. “Wow. It’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be. “

Clicking on my flashlight, I shone the light at the ceiling of the cave. “Not big enough to get the Banisher in, though.”

Drawing my side arm, I started my walk inside the cave, C.C. and Bradford right behind me, and the two soldiers taking up the rear. We moved slowly, but any thought of sneaking was gone with the echo of the water splashing under our feet. We walked fifty meters before coming to a fork in our path. Shining my flashlight down both paths, I sighed. _They’re too long to get an idea of where they’d lead to. We’re going to have to split up._

Turning to Bradford, he nodded at our silent conversation. Drawing his weapon, he took one of the soldiers and went down the left tunnel. C.C. was my responsibility, whether I wanted it or not. Looking at her, her stone-face expression staring at me, I gestured towards the right tunnel. We continued walking slowly, but our steps started to become quiet as the puddles of water began to disappear. We had traveled another seventy-five meters before a light began to illuminate at the farther end of our tunnel.

Shutting off my light, I gave a halt signal, crouching behind one of the rocks. C.C. moved behind me while the remaining soldier took a spot on the other side. We watched as the light became brighter, moving closer to us before stopping. Peering over the rock slightly, I saw three figures armed with rifles, masks covering their faces. One of them, the one holding the light, turned a rock, opening up a secret door to which they all entered.

Seeing it start to close, I quickly got up and ran over to it. I grabbed large piece of rock, my Geass activating as I threw it to jam the door open. Sliding underneath the door, C.C. and the soldier quickly followed suit before the door crushed the rock and slammed shut behind us. Darkness quickly surrounded us as I fumbled in search of my flashlight. C.C. had a hold of hers, clicking it on and shining it around. Picking up my dropped flashlight, I looked back towards the door. _Not going to get back that way, it seems._

I looked at C.C., who nodded once. Redrawing my sidearm, we began to walk down the tunnel slowly. Suddenly rock turned into a well-lit hallway. Glancing back at C.C., we continued our pace down the hallway. We came across an intersection with no indication as to which way the patrol we had seen earlier had gone down. Biting my lip, I rounded the corner to the left and continued down the hall.

We turned a corner and surprisingly found a staircase. A door was at the top of the staircase, which opened up into a hanger. Looking around, I saw that the hanger was several landings deeper than I had expected it to be. What surprised me the most though was the Banisher was in front of us. _So our suspicions were right._ I looked around, trying to find the controls to the hanger, when I happened to hear a commotion coming from the floor of the hanger.

I looked down and saw Bradford and the other soldier fighting off several guards. _Shit._ Looking around, I seen a staircase that led to several of the lower flights and took off in a dead sprint towards them. Shots rang out from below, and I stopped long enough to see the soldier fall to the ground dead while Bradford fell holding his leg. _Fuck!_ I picked up my pace, stopping again when I heard a voice I didn’t recognize.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Atara’s little brother. Snooping around like the little boy you are,” the voice, a male’s, said.

Slowly looking over the edge, I saw that we were only two flights above ground. Looking up towards Bradford, I saw that he was surrounded, and the one speaking was Veector Rashain. His smile, the way his eyes narrowed like a snake’s, could send shivers down a spine if you met him at any other place.

“Tell me, how is your brother doing?” he asked with a smile.

Bradford swung hard towards Veector, but a guard’s kick to his injured leg sent him reeling back to the ground in pain. Veector clicked his tongue as he began to circle around Bradford. Looking at C.C. and the other soldier, I motioned to have them move to a safer position. C.C. didn’t like the plan, that much was evident by the look she gave me, but she followed my instructions nonetheless. Checking my chamber, I turned the safety off and quickly made my way to the ground floor silently.

I wasn’t going to have any cover once I made it to the ground floor, but I wasn’t going to allow them to hurt anyone else. Sighing, I climbed down the rest of the stairs, back straight and my mind focused. _Well. Here goes nothing._ The guards turned at the sound of my footsteps as I walked down the final staircase.

“Now, now, now. Veector, is that how you treat your guests?” I asked, watching him turn to face me.

His eyes narrowed as he looked at me. “And just who are you supposed to be?”

I smiled, and I could hear Bradford chuckle. “Your match,” I heard him say, a grin on his face.

“My name is Jocelyn ri Britannia, daughter of Rai vi Britannia. I am a Warrant Officer of the Holy Britannian Empire, third Guard of Second Princess Cornelia li Britannia,” I announced, seeing several of the guards step back with fear in their eyes.

Veector narrowed his eyes. “Rai vi Britannia, huh?” A smile, one just as creepy as the one he gave Bradford before, crept along his mouth. “Well, then. Why don’t we just see about letting you join your father? Open fire, men!”

All of them looked at Veector with surprise, none of their weapons were aimed at me. They knew that if they tried, they would fail.

“Sir, didn’t you hear? She’s one of Cornelia’s guards. She’s the one that piloted that Knightmare that destroyed Gargo’s Vincent!” one of the men said as he backed up.

Veector rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Just do it!”

I smiled, looking at the men. “If you want to live, then drop your weapons now, and I promise you’ll be treated fairly.”

Several of them couldn’t drop their weapons any faster, moving quickly out of the way while their remaining slowly started to raise their barrels at me. I sighed. _I was hoping not to have to deal with them._ My Geass flared, and I started to sprint to my left as bullets started to fire at me. Four shots from my weapon, and all four were down on the ground, a bullet hole in the middle of their forehead. Veector looked at me wide-eyed as I aimed my barrel at him.

“Now then. You were saying, Veector?” I asked, a smile on my face.

He narrowed his eyes, his hand going towards his belt. A smile ran across his face as he pressed a button, a sudden gust of wind blowing out from the Banisher. I covered my eyes, trying to see what was going on. _The hell did he just do?_ I saw Veector run towards the Banisher, taking the lift up to the pilot’s controls, but the wind didn’t let up until it was too late. I rushed over to Bradford as the Banisher began to fully power up, motioning for the soldier and C.C. to find cover as I dragged Bradford to a nearby room.

“Damn it. I’m sorry I wasn’t much help,” he said, holding his leg as I sat him down.

Taking my jacket off, I quickly pulled my shirt off and tore it into strips. _Good thing I decided on wearing the tank today._ I began to wrap the strips around Bradford’s leg when he stopped me. “You have to go stop Veector,” he said, taking the strips out of my hands.

I looked at him. “Are you sure?”

He smiled, grabbing the controller on my wrist. “I know this is what allowed you to control that Knightmare frame the day my brother was attacked. It’s the only way to stop Veector, and you know it.”

I narrowed my eyes at him but stood. “You are going to tell me how you know that when I come back for you.”

He smiled as I turned to leave the room. The hanger was wide open, the loud movements of the Banisher echoing through the forests beyond the hanger. Putting the 2.0’s key into the controller and entering the code, the screen of several Knightmares appeared before me. I recognized the Lancelot Speed, but to battle against the Banisher, I was going to need something else. Flipping through the selections, I was surprised to find one that was familiar. I smiled when I realized which frame it was reminiscent of. The familiar light from before surrounded me after I selected that particular Knightmare, and I found myself back in the weird cockpit. A weird but familiar cockpit. I smiled when the computer-generated voice announced the name of Knightmare.

“Lancelot Guren, launching.”


	11. Chapter 11

The Guren wasn’t as fast as the Speed in its takeoff, but it was still faster than the Vincent model I had faced before.  It was easy to follow the Banisher; the destruction of the trees as it moved through them was hard to miss.  I bit my lip at the thought of the confrontation that was sure to happen.  _I had no idea as to what the capabilities of the Banisher was, yet here I was heading straight for it with the intention of fighting it._ I knew it was one of the more idiotic ideas I had ever come up with, but I had no choice in the matter.  I couldn’t let Veector continue to have it in his possession. 

Suddenly, the path of broken branches stopped, causing me to quickly halt the Guren.  Looking around, there was no signs as to where Veector had went.  _Not left.  Not right.  Not forward._ I looked down towards the ground.  _No signs of disturbed ground.  Which could only mean-_ A rushing noise came from above me, and I jumped hard to my left.  A chackling laugh came from the Banisher as it rose to its feet.

“Such quickness.  You’re reactions are just as your father’s were.  The perfect test for the Banisher,” Veector said, launching towards me.

Dodging to the right, I raised my hands up in a defensive position.  My heart clenched at the thought of my father, but I wasn’t about to let Veector know.  Laughing, he swung towards me again, but his movements were sloppy.  I dodged underneath, punching hard at the under part of his arm.  It barely caused any damage, and I was forced to fall back again to dodge another attack.  _Damn it.  I can’t afford to damage it too much, but at this rate, he’ll have the upper hand soon._

“Madam Britannia, do you read me?”

It was Colonel Mizikun.  I smiled, dodging attack after attack. “I read you, Colonel.”

“Roger.  Reinforcements will be arriving soon.  What’s the status of your companions?”

“Private Shushiki was injured in the leg; his accompanying soldier was KIA.  The remaining soldier and my assistant are unarmed but remain with private Shushiki. I’m sending coordinates now.”  Another dodge, but this time I was able to get a hit in on the side.  Same result as before.

A silence enveloped before the colonel returned. “Understood.  Coordinates received, and medics have been sent.”

Another dodge, but this time I was able to leap into the air and position myself behind the Banisher.  _All I can do is stay on the defensive until I receive new orders._ “Colonel, I need you to contact Sir Guilford and inform him of the current situation.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Our battle was becoming more destructive the longer it went on.  I was slowly starting to make progress with hits against the Banisher, but it was well reinforced in its armor.  I couldn’t take the chance to use the Radiation Wave Unit until I had the proper clearance for fear that it would cause too much damage to the Banisher.

“What’s wrong, young Jocelyn?  Are you afraid that you are weaker than you father thought you were?” Veector taunted, causing a small snap in my concentration.

I clenched my fists, dodging underneath the next attack and unleashing a barrage of attacks against the Banisher, sending Veector into his first defensive movement.  One thing I couldn’t stand was to hear someone tell me about Father’s expectations of me.  _I knew what he saw in me.  I knew what he expected in me.  And no one was going to say any different on the matter._ A quick dodge from a counter by Veector, and I swung my leg up to connect with the head of the Banisher, sending it into the nearby mountainside.  I panted, the exhaustion of the battle starting to take over.

“Jocelyn, do you read?” It was Sir Guilford.  _Finally._

“I read you, sir,” I responded, watching as the Banisher began to move out of the crevice it had created in the mountainside.

“Destroy it.”

Putting distance between Veector and I, I felt the hesitation in my chest. “Repeat, sir.”

“You heard me, Jocelyn.  Destroy it.  We can’t capture Veector without destroying the Banisher, and we can’t allow Veector to escape.”

I clenched my fists, Veector’s laugh in the background. “But, sir-“

“That’s an order, Britannia.  I understand that it’s your father’s technology, but Veector must be stopped.”

I took in a deep breath, focusing on Veector. “Understood.”

Checking the energy supply, I calculated that I’d only have a few minutes to end this before it’d run out.  _Damn it all!_ I launched towards the Banisher at full speed, surprising Veector with the tactic.  Seeing him hesitate in response, I moved to a hard right to circle around, launching the Radiation Wave Unit at his left arm.  The hesitation was all that I needed, the unit catching his arm.

“Why you-“ Veector began to shout when the arm began to expand from the radiation.

“You should’ve surrendered when you had the chance, Veector.”

I watched the cockpit eject as I moved away, the Banisher exploding from the compacted radiation.  I watched as my father’s work fell to the ground in a smokey haze, the reinforcement Knightmares moving towards me.

“Madam Britannia, we’re the reinforcements Colonel Mizikun sent,” the lead Knightmare, an improved Sutherland, reported.

I turned towards him. “Retrieve Veector Rashain.  His cockpit ejection landed him about 150 meters north.”

Saluting me, the Sutherlands left to retrieve Veector.  It wasn’t long after they had left that the controller powered down, returning me to the ground.  I fell to my knees, my strength fading fast with exhaustion.  The battle was longer than the one with the Vincent, so it wasn’t surprising to find how much energy I was lacking afterwards.  I slowly took a seat on one of the nearby rocks, trying to collect my thoughts.  _I had to destroy one of Father’s Knightmares, and yet I understand why we had to.  Veector had been a major contributor to getting it functional, so we had no idea what was installed.  Doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt any less._ I sighed, leaning forward to rest my head in my hands.

Once I had managed to catch my breath and felt ready to make my rendezvous with the reinforcements, I stood up slowly, but a movement caught my attention.  Quickly moving behind the tree to my left, I watched as a soldier started to make his way towards the remains of the Banisher.  He was tall, a helmet of some sort on his head.  He looked over the damage before raising his hand to his helmet.

Pressing a button, I heard him say softly, “The Banisher has been destroyed.” A silence followed. “Yes, I understand.” He lowered his hand, his focus still on the remains.

Slowly drawing my sidearm, I began to make my way slowly towards him.  I was 100 meters away, my sights aimed on him, when he surprised me by speaking again.

“Hello, Jocelyn.”

I froze, my eyes widening.  _Shit._ I shook my head, readjusting my focus on my sights. “Hands in the air.  As a Warrant Officer of the Holy Britannian Empire, I order you to surrender.”

The man chuckled before starting to turn towards me.  The helmet covered majority of his head; the only part it didn’t cover was his eyes, which glowed a slight red.  What concerned me was that his eyes weren’t menacing but were trying to portray a comfort.  Even when my sidearm was trained on his head, it felt as if the sight of me was welcoming to him.  He wore a trench coat over a black suit, one that reminded me of Mother’s Guren battle suit.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” he said, the playfulness in his eyes raising my suspicions.

_Who the hell is this guy?_ “I’m not going to let you escape.”

“Oh, but I think you will, dear Jocelyn.”

I moved my safety to the off position. “And what makes you so certain?  And how do you know my name?”

If I could see a smile, I swear he was.  The way his eyes lit up at my question sent shivers down my spine. “Why, dear, you already know me, but let me reintroduce myself,” he said, taking a bow. “My name is Shadow.”

My eyes widened, my arms lowering, as I stared at the man in front of me.  _He’s…Shadow._ My arms started to shake, the anger boiling inside me.  A cry of frustration and anger rang out as I lunged towards him.  As if predicting my movements, he dodged the swing with my weapon and grabbed my arms.  Quickly disarming me, he managed to knock me to the ground and pin me down.  _REALLY?!_ I groaned, fighting against his grip, but he had the weight and position advantage.

“Now, now, my dear.  I am of no threat to you."

“What is it that you want?” I asked through my clenched teeth.  _I had to figure out some way of getting him off of me._

“To help.”

I turned my head back as far as I could to look at him. “To help?”

He nodded. “Yes, to help.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Why would I believe you?  You’re the reason why two thousand Japanese are missing!”

He chuckled at my outburst. “I am not in fact responsible, but I know who is.” The laughter in his eyes disappeared, a seriousness replacing it. “And what he has planned will destroy the world if you don’t stop it.”

I looked at him confused as he rose and took a few steps back.  I sat up slowly, rubbing my shoulder. “What do you mean?”

Shadow sat down on a rock, his eyes never leaving mine. “I know about your Geass, Jocelyn.  And so does the man responsible for the missing Japanese.  I want to stop him, but to do that, I need your help.”

_Another Geass user?  How many contracts does C.C. have?_ “Why me?”

He laughed. “Because you are the rose in the prophecy, but I do not have the time to explain.  Your reinforcements should be arriving to pick you up in a few minutes.  But I will give you two pieces of advice.”

I crossed my arms my chest.  _Every fiber in my body shouted to capture him, but after how he caught me, I knew it would’ve been more difficult.  There was also the possibility that he would escape before the reinforcements arrived to help.  The only thing I could do at the moment was hear him out._ “Alright, I’m listening.”

He held up one finger. “First piece of advice:  Leave the Holy Britannian Empire’s military.”

Now it was my turn to laugh. “And why would I do such a thing?  They’re just as invested in finding these missing Japanese and protecting their people as I am.”

“Because Emperor Charles zi Britannia is the person behind the disappearance of those two thousand Japanese.”

I stared at him, wide-eyed and confused. “What…what are you talking about?”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t know how, but he was able to abduct them without linking himself to the crime.  I want you to continue your mission to find them, but not as a Britannian soldier.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Say I was to follow your advice; mind telling me how I was going to continue into that investigation without their help?”

Shadow shrugged his shoulders. “Simple.  Follow my second piece of advice:  find the Black Knights.”

“The Black Knights?  Why?”

Shadow stood, his hands sliding into the pockets of his trench coat. “The Black Knights also have a Geass user, but it’s up to you to find out who it is.”

A sudden flash broke my eye contact, and when I was able to see straight again, Shadow was gone.  The sudden flash brought in the soldier quickly, their concern about my safety almost nauseating.  They led me back to the main base, where I was able to meet back up with C.C. and Bradford.  Both had been found the reinforcements and medics I had sent to the cave, and it looked as though Bradford was going to make a quick recovery.

Yet, as I stood there debriefing Sir Guilford upon his arrival, all that was on my mind was Shadow.  The conversation with him had rocked my foundation of trust in the Britannian Empire, but there wasn’t any way for me act on it just now.  I had to find out more about what he was talking about; I needed to find out more about Charles zi Britannia.  Yet, I had no idea how to outside of talking with Princess Cornelia about him.  I sighed at the thought.  _This mission keeps getting more and more complex.  If I were to call out the Emperor for the abductions, then I would surely be charged with treason, and I couldn’t let anything happen to Mother or Katsu.  Not because of my recklessness.  But I couldn’t just not act on this information.  I needed to talk to someone about it._

Sir Guilford dismissed me as soon as the debriefing was finished; he had to report immediately to Princess Cornelia with the report.  Finding myself with a clear schedule for the moment, I made my way to the med bay.  Bradford was being checked out for his leg, and C.C. had volunteered to accompany him.  The staff and soldiers were cautious with her, but I couldn’t really blame them.  I rubbed the bridge of my nose as I arrived at to Bradford’s room.  When I entered, I found him on the phone, a serious facial expression present as he stared out the window.  I looked to C.C., who merely shrugged.  I took the open seat next to his bed, patiently waiting for the conversation to end.

He sighed as he hung up, dropping his hands and his phone onto his lap. “Well then.  I wasn’t really expecting that.”

“Expecting what?” I asked.

He looked at me. “I’m taking my Knightmare final in two days.”

I looked at him surprised.  _What the hell?_ “What?  Under who’s orders?”

“The lead examiner.  His approval is all it takes to get things rolling, Speeds.”

Rubbing the sides of my head, I sighed.  _I should be happy for him, but this just feels wrong.  Something wrong.  Something bad._ I felt a hand on my shoulder, causing me to jump slightly.  Bradford stared at me with such a seriousness that I wasn’t use to associating with him.

“Speeds, you need to tell me what’s going on,” he said.

I looked from him to C.C. then back to him.  His eyes, his concern for me though he was the one hurt, touched me.  _He’s been here for me since I came to him for help.  He’s always been there for me when I needed him._ I took a deep breath then released it. “Ok, but we have to start from the beginning.”

* * *

 

He leaned against a tree, his trembling hands slowly taking his helmet off.  _I finally got to see her.  I finally got to see Jocelyn._ His body trembled from the joy, from the fear, of finally being able to have a conversation with her.  After all this time, after all the recon, he finally had a chance to talk to her, and she was everything that he had hoped she could be.  _She’s almost there.  She’s almost ready to face him._ He smiled as he slid down to the ground. 

He sat there, looking up at the blue sky above him, and wondered what she must be up to right now.  A ringing came from him phone.  _A text from C.C._ He looked down at it.

**_She’s telling Bradford.  She’s going to Zero.  We can start the preparations for Stage 3._ **

He smiled.  _Very smart, Jocelyn.  Just as I would expect from you._ Standing up, he slid his helmet back on and began to walk more into the deeper parts of the forest where none of the soldiers of the base would go.  It was the perfect place for his Knightmare to wait for him.  _And so the real plan begins.  Watch out Charles; a shadow can hold some of the darkest secrets._


	12. Chapter 12

Bradford stared incredulously at me, the dumbfounded expression a bit hilarious in its own way. I had just finished explaining to him the night I received my Geass power, the night I was targeted for an assassination attempt. C.C. stood off to the side, her arms crossed over her chest after she was done texting on her phone. I could only imagine who she was speaking to, but I had a feeling I’d eventually find out who it was. Bradford leaned back against his chair, his eyes still focused on me.

“So…you have some type of ability that makes it so that you can hit a bulls-eye every single time?” he asked.

I nodded. “Basically.” 

“And someone’s after you because of this ability?”

“Yes.”

“So what does this have to do with the missing Japanese?”

I sighed, leaning back against the counter behind me. “I don’t know yet. We might get some information from Veector, but…it’s sounding like we won’t get anything new that we don’t already know.”

Bradford crossed his arms over his chest. “Then where do we go from here?”

I bit my lip, already knowing he wasn’t going to like what I had to say next. “You’re going to go ahead with taking your Knightmare final. I’m going to find out who this other Geass user is in the Black Knights.”

Bradford’s eyes widened at the implication that was now out there. “I can’t let you do that, Speeds!”

“You’re in no place to tell me what I can or can’t do, Bradford. This is my decision, and my decision alone.”

Bradford grounded his teeth together before turning to face C.C. “Is this your doing, witch?”

C.C. chuckled at Bradford’s accusation. “No, human, it’s not. This is all Jocelyn’s decision. The only thing I’m responsible is for her contract that allowed her to gain her Geass power.”

Looking towards C.C., my eyes narrowed. “Speaking of which, just how many contracts do you have out?”

C.C. pretended to think for a minute before returning her gaze to me. “A lot. I’ve lived a very long time, Jocelyn.”

“Sounds like a big coincidence that there’s a Geass user in the Black Knights, doesn’t it?”

C.C. smiled. “So that’s who you’re looking for? Well then, I’m interested in seeing where this is going to go then.”

I narrowed my eyes, about to continue questioning her, when Bradford grabbed my hand, forcing me to look back at him. In his eyes was determination, but I knew deep down inside he was worried. Worried about his upcoming Knightmare trial, about what the current situation was, about me. I don’t know why, but my heart fluttered at the thought of how much he was willing to fight for me, just as he always had.

“I’m not letting you do this, Jocelyn.”

I looked at him, sighing as I pulled my arm away from his grip. “You have to, Bradford. This isn’t your decision,” I said before taking a more rigid stance as I looked at him. “As your higher ranking officer, I order you to cease your attempts to sway my decisions.”

His eyes went wide, shocked at my order. I don’t know why, but it hurt a lot worse when I saw it than how bad I thought it would hurt. His hand dropped, his gaze turning to his lap. I watched him, look at his hands in defeat, before turning to head towards the door. _There’s things to plan, movements to do. I have to get started now._

“Speeds…”

His soft voice caught me as my foot stepped out into the hall. I turned slowly to look at him. “Yes?”

He looked at me with that stern, determined look that was almost signature for him. “Don’t do anything stupid. You hear me?”

I smiled gently, rolling my eyes. “I think I should be telling you that, Bradford. You’re the one who’s about to become a Knightmare pilot after passing with flying colors.”

That got a smile and a nod out of him. See that he was somewhat back to his old self, I left the room, ignoring the looks I got as I made my way towards the front of the hospital. I knew she was right behind me, her steps quietly following mine. It was only until we were outside, away from the listening ears of the hospital did I finally speak up.

“Figure out how to get me to meet with the Black Knights. No, I don’t want to go to my mother to find a way; I want to keep her and Katsu out of this as long as possible,” I said as I stopped to look at her.

She nodded. “Alright then. It will take some time before I am able to get a meeting scheduled with Zero.” 

I waved off her comment. “I don’t care. I have things to do in the meantime, so it’s not going to be much trouble.”

C.C. tilted her head to the side, a slight confused look on her face. “And what do you intend to do?”

I began to walk away, sliding my comm onto my ear. “Talk with Princess Cornelia.”

* * *

 

She had cleared her schedule of all appointments when it was made clear we had business to speak about. Two of the estate’s guards led me down the hall to her main office, stopping short of her door. They nodded when I gave them a questioning look, only then entering her office. It was large but simple, a couple bookcases covering the walls around the room. Princess Cornelia sat behind a desk in the middle of the room, her lavender hair pulled up on the back of her head. She was typing away as I entered, focused squarely on her task before her. 

The door closed behind me with a rather large bang. I stood in front of the door at an at-ease position, waiting on my princess to signal me to move forward for our discussion. It was several minutes before she acknowledge my presence, signaling me to move forward towards her desk. As I approached, she rested her elbows on the desk with her fingers intertwined and her chin resting on her fingers. She stared at me with a look that was almost inspecting me, trying to figure out what our conversation was going to be about in just a few seconds.

I stood at attention in front of her desk. “Princess Cornelia, Warrant Officer-“

She waved off my introduction. “Enough, Jocelyn. Get to the point. Why did you need to see me so urgently?”

Slightly surprised by the sudden cutoff, it took me a moment to regain my composure. “It’s in regards to the mission you and Sir Guilford assigned to me.”

That caught her attention. She leaned back against her seat, her attention fully on me. “I had heard that Veector had been captured but that the Banisher had been destroyed. Tell me, what else did you find out in your investigation?”

Clenching my fists, I thought back to what Shadow had revealed to me, that it was Emperor Charles was behind the disappearances. _Can I trust her with this information? He is her father after all. Why am I even here? How is this even going to help me find the Japanese if I tell the daughter of my enemy that her father’s the reason why I’m on this mission?_

“Jocelyn?” I looked up, surprised to see the seriousness that had previously taken home to Princess Cornelia’s face had been replaced with a soft, caring expression. I don’t know if my inner conflict had managed to manifest itself, but the princess had been able to sense it. “What’s going on? I may be your superior, but you are one of my guards. I am to entrust my life in your hands. If something’s bothering you, speak your mind.”

Looking at her, taking in her words, I took a deep breath. “After the Banisher was destroyed, I was met by a man by the name of Shadow. He claims to not have been responsible for the missing Japanese but to know who was.”

Princess Cornelia’s eyes narrowed. “And that would be?”

I took a deep swallow as I stared her directly in her eyes. “Emperor Charles zi Britannia.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. It made me wonder if that was how I looked at Shadow after he had told me. “And what evidence does supports his claim?”

“There was an assassination attempt on my life, and shortly after I infiltrated a warehouse belonging to those responsible. Evidence found in the warehouse showed a connection to the disappearances, and Shadow was one of those named in the documents.”

Crossing her arms over her chest, Princess Cornelia stared hard at me. “Why you, though? Why not myself or another of Britannia royalty?”

My fists clenched. “The clothes they were wearing…they had the insignias that were on the clothes of the men who killed my father. In the documents we found with Shadow’s name was a detailed document on myself, my mother, and my brother with an order of not to attack us. They’re targeting me, but as to why they took the two thousand Japanese, I don’t know why yet.”

Her expression softening, she leaned forward onto her elbows. “So what are you wanting to do next?”

I took in a deep breath before releasing it. I looked up and directly into her gaze. “To defect to the Black Knights.”

“Defect?” she asked, concern and a slight hint of anger rising to her eyes. “Why defect?”

“There’s someone in the Black Knights I have to find. Someone who can help me find out why I was targeted, why the two thousand Japanese were kidnapped. I can’t find them if I’m a member of the Holy Britannian Empire.”

Princess Cornelia intertwined her fingers in front of her mouth. “You do realize you’ll be branded a traitor. That we will hunt for you, even if your intentions are true.”

I nodded. “I didn’t come to this decision lightly, Princess, but you assigned me to investigation to find them. I’m going to find them.”

Princess Cornelia chuckled, throwing me off slight as she stood up and walked over to me. She placed her hands on my shoulders and smiled. “How much you remind me of your mother and father is uncanny sometimes.” I continued to look at her confused, silence overcoming any response. “I hereby assign you to become my undercover agent. Continue your investigation, and we’ll work on how you can report your findings to me.”

I looked at her surprised. “But…but Princess-“

“No excuses, Jocelyn. If my father really is involved in this, then I want the truth to come out and the Japanese returned to their homes. Can I trust you to complete this mission?”

I nodded fast. “Of course, Princess.”

She smiled. “Good. Now leave out the back window. I must alert my forces to a defector immediately.”

Nodding, I ran past her but couldn’t help feel her sense of pride as I passed by. By the time the alarms sounded, I was already past the defenses and heading towards the hideout I had instructed C.C. to head to just before my meeting with Princess Cornelia. _Here’s to a new chapter in my life._

* * *

 

News traveled fast after her defection. Jocelyn’s face was up on many posters around the SAZ. It was a couple days after that her friend, the Shushiki boy, accomplished his Knightmare trials, becoming her replacement on Cornelia’s guard. Everyone knew of his elder brother’s accomplishments, but they were still surprised by his sudden Knightmare trial and placement as one of Cornelia’s guards. He couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. 

“Well then. That was an unexpecting surprise, Cornelia,” he said as he leaned back against his chair. His phone soon buzzed, signaling a text. He picked his phone up, smiling when he saw it from C.C.

**_She’s arrived. Phase Three has been initiated._ **

He smiled. _Good. Everything is falling into place._ He set his phone down on the table, the door to his room opening slowly and then closing. He leaned against his chair as his new visitor made their way to his desk. The visitor stood beside his chair as he continued to stare out the large window.

“Is everything in order?” the visitor asked.

“It is. Are you ready for the next phase?”

“I am.”

“Good. This phase needs to move rather quickly due to Charles’s knowledge of Jocelyn, but I know you will be ready for Phase Four by then.”

His visitor bowed. “Of course. It is time to see the rightful heir to the Britannian throne rise to her rightful place.”

He chuckled. “Is that so, Jeremiah? What if she doesn’t want to become ruler of the Britannian Empire?”

Jeremiah frowned. “What are you implying, Shadow?”

Shadow crossed his arms over his chest and looked up at Jeremiah. “She’s not so easy to control; she may be originally loyal to the Empire, but she is her mother’s daughter.”

Jeremiah narrowed his gaze at Shadow, his anti-Geass eye swirling around. “I see. Then I guess we will just have to wait and see how it plays out, won’t we?”

Shadow smiled. “That we will. Now, go ahead and leave. Make sure preparations are ready for the war that’s about to break out.”

Jeremiah bowed before leaving Shadow’s office. It was a moment later before Shadow sighed, leaning deeper into his chair. He took his mask off, setting it down on the table, and gently rubbed his jaw. He stood up, his hand moving to the scar on his chest. It felt as if a lifetime ago, but it still rang home every now and again. He walked over to the window, watching out into the night at the surrounding forest. He knew he should be thinking about the upcoming phase, but his mind was solely focused on Jocelyn ri Britannia.

She was the one of the prophecy, but he knew how much like her parents she was. If she knew what it truly told, would she have continued down the path he had laid for her? He chuckled to himself at the thought. He walked over to his bookcase, opening up a case that was behind a few of the books. In the case were older pictures of the Britannian family. Pictures of Jocelyn and Katsu when they were younger. Pictures of Rai and Kallen laughing with their children. A group picture of the Student Council with their respective families in tow. He looked at them for a few minutes before placing them back in the case, closing it and returning the books to their places in front of it. He rubbed his jaw before sighing and returning to his desk. Sliding his mask back on, he made his way towards the door of his room. _Time to take down the Empire._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for those who continue to read this story and patiently wait for the update. For the longest time, I had a writer's block on how I wanted the story to continue. Hopefully, as I continue to work through school and other commitments along with my other works here on AO3, this story can have a more continuous update.
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet13


	13. Chapter 13

It was a week after the news of my defection, and no meeting with Zero had been scheduled.  I was expecting a wait but not a week long.  We had managed to find an abandoned building to bunker down in far from the outskirts of the city.  We couldn’t risk being found out in the day light, so we would hide out in the building until closer to midnight before making any quick runs for a couple hours before returning.  I wasn’t able to get in contact with Mother or Bradford, due to the authorities and their closeness to me.  I couldn’t afford to give away my position just yet, nor was I going to risk placing them in jail because of my decisions.

I sat against the wall in the corner, hiding me from the window that was hastily blocked but allowing me to see out the small sliver of space.  While the building was abandoned, I was still able to look out and see a few crowds make their way past us, oblivious to the fact that the building was hiding two fugitives in its walls.  I watched the young children that would run by the building, smiles on their faces as they played their various games, and would be reminded of Katsu’s laugh when we would play together.

“You’re doing it again,” I heard C.C. say softly from across the room.

“Doing what?” I asked, my eyes never wavering from their stare.

“I know that look, Jocelyn.  You know we can’t go see your brother or your mother right now.  Not with the amount of attention the authorities are putting on them because their your family.  They’re lucky that your father was Rai and that Princess Cornelia is very supportive of your plan, or they would have been executed already.”

I bit my bottom lip, my hands clenching into fists. “Thank you oh so much for reminding me, C.C.”

I could almost hear her smile. “You’re welcome.”

I sat quietly for a few minutes, allowing my anger to simmer. “Have you made any contact with Zero?” I asked.

“Actually, she has,” a familiar voice announced, catching me by surprised.  I jumped to my feet, pulling my pistol out of its holster and aiming it at our new visitor’s head.  I narrowed my eyes, feeling my Geass activate, as I saw that it was Zero.  He held his hands up slowly. “No need to get carried away, Jocelyn.”

I kept my pistol aimed at his head. “There was no need to come in here unannounced with the intention of scaring me either,” I replied, not wavering.

Zero chuckled, his hands disappearing into his cloak. “That is true, and I apologize.  I hear you have an offer for me.”

Slowly, I returned my pistol to my holster, allowing for my Geass to settle before speaking. “I’m sure you’ve heard about my defection.”

“I have.  You created a very large commotion with it.”

“I want to join the Black Knights, and I want you to teach me on how to use my Geass.”

Zero took a step forward. “And why would you want to do that?”

I felt the grin grow on my face. “Because I know you want to take down Charles zi Britannia as much as I want to, Lelouch.”

C.C.’s eyes widened in surprise, but Zero was silent.  He remained silent for a moment before he started to chuckle, reaching up to take his mask off.  Lelouch’s grin could be scary for those in similar situations, but to me, it was a welcoming sight.

“May I ask how you managed to deduce my identity, Jocelyn?” he asked, setting the mask down on the table beside him.

I reached into my back pocket, pulling out a picture, and flicked it towards Lelouch.  It landed in front of him, an amused smile appearing on his face as he knelt down to pick it up.  I watched as C.C. looked over his shoulder to look at the picture, her face scrunching up in confusion and anger.

“You don’t know all of my activities, C.C.,” I said sternly.

The picture was of my father, my mother, and Lelouch.  They were all dressed in their Ashford Academy uniforms, Mother’s arms wrapped around both of their shoulders, smiles on all of their faces.  It was one of few pictures that featured just the three of them from their time at the academy, from a time that didn’t weigh so much responsibility on their shoulders.  I crossed my arms over my chest as I thought back to the night of my defection.

_It wasn’t hard to sneak past the guards to my house.  I was surprised to see them still present, but I assumed that Princess Cornelia was using my status as a defector as a cover to make sure the protection was still in place.  Mother still kept the spare key in its compartment behind a loose brick on the side of the house.  Unlocking the door quietly, I made sure to place the key back before entering the house, gently closing the door behind me._

_The house was dark, not a noise was being made.  It looked as if Mother and Katsu had retired for the night.  Slowly, I made my way towards the stairs, making sure to avoid the spots that would squeak underneath my weight.  I was quick to move up the stairs, thankful that Father had placed carpet on the second floor when I was six years old.  I was able to move easier, knowing that I wouldn’t have to worry about the floor below me making noise._

_I made my way to Katsu’s room first.  He was a heavy sleeper, so I knew he wouldn’t wake up while I made my visit.  I made my way into his room, slowly walking over and sitting beside him on his bed.  He slept peacefully, arms spread out in differing directions as his tiny snores escaped his mouth.  I smiled, gently stroking his hair as he slept.  It was one of the things that I missed about home after graduation.  I couldn’t spend as much time as I would like with Katsu._

_The door to Katsu’s room squeaked open, and a rush of panic ran through my body.  I stood up quickly, prepared to do whatever was necessary to escape, when I saw Mother standing in the doorway.  Her eyes widened but softened quickly when she saw that it was just me.  I could feel the sense of relief pour out of her body as she made her way over to me, pulling me into a tight hug.  I stood frozen for a moment before wrapping my arms around her tightly._

_“Are you sure about this, Joce?” she asked softly._

_I nodded, gently pulling back so that she could look me in the eyes. “I have to find out what happened to those missing Japanese, Mother.  I can’t do that if I’m a Britannian soldier.”_

_She raised her hands to my cheeks, gently cupping my face.  She stared into my eyes, trying to decipher my reasons, but smiled in the end.  I couldn’t help but smile back; it was one of those reassuring smiles that she gave me, one that projected her love and trust._

_“Please, be careful, Joce.  The world can be an unforgiving place.”_

_I nodded. “I know, Mother, but finding the missing Japanese isn’t the only reason why I’m leaving.” Mother looked at me confused. “I have to find Zero.”_

_“Why?”_

_“He…knows of a power that could be helpful to finding out who was responsible for Father’s death.”_

_It took a moment for everything to click, but when it did, Mother smiled at me. “You met C.C., didn’t you?”_

_I looked at her in surprise. “You…you know-“_

_“Yes.  I know about C.C.  I also know about the Geass Order.  Do you really think you were the first Britannian to have made a contract with one of them?”_

_“What do you mean?”_

_She smiled, taking my hand and leading me out of Katsu’s room silently.  She walked me down the hall to the door that would lead to the attic.  It was rare for us to use the attic outside of storage, so when she led me here, I could only assume it was to show me something that needed to be hidden.  She led the way up the stairs, heading to the far corner of the attic.  She pulled out a stool, reaching into a secret compartment in the wall and pulling out a small box._

_She ran her hand over the top of the box, a small smile appearing on her face. “This box holds the last memories of my time with the Black Knights with your father.”_

_Slowly, I made my way over to her.  She opened it slowly, a visor the first piece visible.  She gently took it out of the box, setting it on the floor next to her feet.  I could see pictures and documents of various sorts lining the box.  She reached into the box and pulled one of the pictures out, handing it to me.  I took it from her, looking down to find a picture of her, Father, and Lelouch, all in their Ashford Academy uniforms._

_“I don’t understand.  Why are you handing this to me?” I asked, looking up at her._

_She smiled. “Because it’s time you knew the truth.  The truth about your father and Lelouch.”_

_I sat down on the ground in front of her. “What about them?”_

_“Your father made a contract with one of the members of the Geass Order long ago.  He was part of the Britannian Royal Family long before Charles took the thrown.  When he began to lose control of his Geass, resulting in civil war that took the lives of his mother and sister, the contractor locked him away.  I don’t know how he was able to escape, but he made his way to us.  I was already part of the Black Knights by the time I met your father,” she explained, smiling at the picture I held in my hands._

_I looked down at the picture, my father’s smile staring me in the face.  He looked so peaceful, so happy, in the picture with Mother and Lelouch.  Never would I have imagined that he had already been through so much heartbreak.  It wasn’t in his nature to show weakness.  His smile, the happiness in his eyes, none of it showed how much he must have been hurting._

_“After stopping the SAZ would-be massacre, Lelouch told me everything, even showing me his own Geass.  It was similar to your father’s except that your father’s Geass was activated by his voice while Lelouch’s was activated by eye contact,” she said, lifting her head to face me. “If you are going to go join the Black Knights to find this Geass user, then find Zero.”_

_I looked up at her. “Why Zero?”_

_She smiled. “Because he is Lelouch.  I told you you aren’t the only Britannian to come into contact with the Geass Order.”_

Lelouch looked down at the picture, shaking his head with a smile on his face.  He sat both the picture and his helmet down on the table in front of him.  If I wasn’t mistaken, knowing that I knew the truth about his identity seemed to lift a burden off of his shoulders.

“Very good, Jocelyn.  You’ve done it; you’ve figured out who Zero truly is.  Now that that’s out of the way, why don’t we discuss the real reason as to why you want me to teach you how to control your Geass.”

My arms crossed over my chest. “It involves taking down your father, who I hear is behind the kidnappings of the Japanese.”

“There’s more to this than just that, isn’t there?” he asked.

I nodded once. “The people responsible for the kidnappings also are responsible for my father’s murder.  I want to know why my father was murdered.”

Lelouch nodded. “All in due time, Jocelyn.  First, we must figure out what the Emperor has done with the missing Japanese.  Once we know that, I have a feeling we will be one step closer to answering your question,” he said, picking up his mask and turning towards the door. “Now come.  We have work to do in a short time span.”

I nodded, following him and C.C. out of the room, a new fire spreading through my body.  _The time is now.  I will find them, Father.  No one will stop me._

* * *

 

Jeremiah watched from across the street as Zero, the mysterious green hair woman, and former Warrant Officer Jocelyn ri Britannia made their way into a black van and drove off.  He crossed his arms over his chest as he contemplated Shadow’s plan.  It was risky, placing all of the hope onto the young Britannia’s shoulders, but Jeremiah was confident in her abilities.  He was confident in Shadow’s plan to bring the rightful heir to the throne. 

Soft steps indicated that a new guest had arrived behind him.  Jeremiah couldn’t help but grin. “So I take it you somehow managed to listen in onto their conversation?”

His new guest nodded. “I did.”

“And?”

“She knows who Zero’s true identity is.”

Jeremiah nodded. “Good.  Make sure you report back to Shadow on the developments.”

The guest nodded, moving to answer, when a noise behind them startled them.  They turned to find a group of three men, daring looks in their eyes, behind them, each with a bat in their hands.  Jeremiah reached for his weapon, but his guest raised his hand.  Jeremiah watched as his guest moved in front of him, taking his voice-changing mask off.  Knowing what was coming next, Jeremiah covered his ears.

He watched as the men looked confused before their eyes began to glow red.  They turned to each other, starting a brawl amongst themselves.  It was only when the men laid on the ground dead and the mask returned to his guest’s face did Jeremiah remove his hands.  It was scary to know how easy it was for the sound of his voice to create so much destruction.

“You better get moving, Jeremiah.  Don’t keep Shadow waiting,” his guest said before leaving the alley.

Jeremiah watched him leave, cursing at himself.  If Shadow had him out, then the seriousness of this phase was evident.  The Hound never took prisoners.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The long awaited update has arrived! Leave comments, kudos, etc. I love seeing your responses!


	14. Chapter 14

I walked determinedly through the halls, the people moving quickly out of the way. The whispers followed as I walked past them, the cape of my uniform flowing behind me slightly. They knew not to question where I would go, what I was doing. None of them risked being in the warpath of Zero’s Hand. _Oh what a name they have given me._

I was no longer a Britannian soldier; I had no other cover to hide behind in the civilian world. This allowed for Lelouch and I to focus solely on finding the missing Japanese and uncovering Charles’s plans. Three months had passed, and the Black Knights were becoming a force to be reckoned with. Fear was starting to spread throughout Area 11; hope began flourishing in the SAZ. All because the Black Knights, specifically Zero’s Hand, was forcing her way through the Britannian’s forces to find the missing Japanese.

I stormed into Lelouch’s war room, ignoring the looks of anger at my interruption. In his disguise, Lelouch straightened up. I walked over to him, ignoring his other leaders, their looks of disapproval trying to dig deep into me. Lelouch tossed a datapad towards me, which I caught with one hand with ease. I looked down at it, skimming through the information.

“We got this from one of our most recent raids,” he said, my eyes still searching the information.

I bit my lip hard when the symbol moved into my view. _Shadow’s insignia._ “I’ll look into it,” I said, turning to leave.

“I’ve heard that Sir Kururugi and his son have been called in from the main land to deal with our recent activities,” Lelouch announced, prompting me to stop and face him. “Are you going to be able to handle both of them?”

My eyes narrowed. “Do you doubt my abilities, Zero?”

“You know I don’t, Jocelyn.”

“Then don’t ask a stupid question. If they get in my way, I’ll take care of them,” I said before storming out of the room.

The speed at which we were finding information on the missing Japanese was faster than what I had during my tenure as a Britannian soldier, but it was still slow. I had been able to send a few updates to Princess Cornelia, but by the sounds of Uncle and Ichirou’s impending arrival, we had managed to annoy Charles. _This means were on the right path._

I walked into my room, tossing the datapad onto my desk. Closing the door and locking it, I took off the jacket of my uniform, hanging it on the back of my chair before laying down on my bed. I was exhausted; in the past seventy-two hours, I think I got maybe ten hours of sleep. I could feel my eyes slowly start to close, my body and mind slowly starting to let the exhaustion start to overcome my body.

Then there was a knock at my door.

Groaning, I stood up, straightening my shirt, as I answered the door. I wasn’t surprised to find Lelouch, still in his Zero disguise, standing in the door, but I was surprised that he had a guest with him. I gave the young man a quick glance before returning my attention to Lelouch. “What do you want, Zero?”

“May we come in?”

I narrowed my eyes before rolling them, stepping to the side so that they could enter. Once Lelouch and his guest entered, I close the door and locked it. Another feature that was introduced was a sound cancelling shield, one of my own features, which I was quick to activate. Once he knew we wouldn’t be heard or interrupted, Lelouch took off his helmet. I made note to see that his guest didn’t react to who was under the helmet.

“Thank you for seeing us, Jocelyn,” Lelouch said, setting the helmet down on my desk.

“What do you want, Lelouch? You only personally come to my room when you want something, and you don’t bring visitors with you,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

Lelouch smiled. “You tell me you don’t remember?”

I narrowed my eyes, already annoyed by his roundabout questions. “Remember what?”

Lelouch motioned to his guest. “This is Steiman. My son.”

My eyes widened, turning towards the young man. He smiled shyly, waving a little as the realization hit me hard. His hair wasn’t as orange as his mothers, taking on a darker version. There wasn’t much that Lelouch’s genes had contributed to Steiman’s facial features, but you could see the strong jawline and the violet eyes that obviously belonged to the Britannian lineage.

I turned my attention back to Lelouch. “Why did you bring him here, Lelouch? If anyone recognizes him as your son, then your cover as Zero will be blown.”

Lelouch chuckled. “That’s the thing, Jocelyn. No one will know because Steiman has decided to defect over to the Black Knights.”

I looked over to Steiman for confirmation. He nodded. “Mother is understandably upset about the turn of events, and so is Father under his disguise. No one will be any the wiser, especially because of Father’s disguise as Zero.”

I narrowed my eyes and turned back to Lelouch. “Why now? Why Steiman?”

Lelouch smiled, taking a step back as a fist was swung by Steiman. I was quick to drop, dodging the attack before launching my shoulder hard into his stomach. He dropped back a step before launching towards me again. I stepped to the side, dragging my leg and causing him to fall forward onto the floor. Quickly, I jumped onto his back, pinning his left arm behind his back with my knee. I pulled the hidden knife out of my boot and pressed it against his neck.

“Explain. Now,” I said threateningly to both of them, not in the mood for any more of their games. 

“He’s your new partner, Jocelyn. You two shall be my hands; you my right, and he my left,” Lelouch explained, not wavering as I continue to hold the knife against his son’s neck.

“Then why the attack.”

“To show you my abilities. They may not be as well rehearsed as yours, but they are better than any lackey Charles would throw at us,” Steiman said.

I looked at him, holding the knife to his neck for a minute longer before releasing him. I stood back, knife still in hand, as he stood up, rolling his shoulders. “Attack me again, and I will end you. I don’t care if you’re his son or not; I do not take well to being attacked,” I warned, my grip tightening on the knife’s hilt.

Steiman nodded. “Noted.”

Slowly, I slid the knife back into hilt in my boot. “If there’s nothing else, I’d like to return to my peace of being alone.”

Lelouch nodded, replacing his helmet. “I will have a mission for you in the morning. Try to get some rest tonight.”

I stood still, not responding to his comment. When no response came, Lelouch nodded, leaving the room with Steiman in tow. Once I knew they were gone, I sighed, reengaging the locks and shield. I sat down at my desk, running my right hand through my hair as my left pulled up my communicator. A press of a button, and I was calling Princess Cornelia. As a farewell gift from Lloyd, it had proven extremely useful for keeping in contact without the need to always be monitoring extra channels for listeners.

It took only a few moments, but soon enough, Princess Cornelia answer. “Jocelyn,” she said, having abandoned any trace amounts of my former Britannian life once I started sending updates.

“He’s starting to step up his plan. Even put me with a partner,” I reported, rubbing the back of my neck.

“Does he know of Sir Kururugi and his son arriving in the next few days to help defend against the Black Knights?”

I nodded. “He informed me today when he introduced me to my new partner.”

Cornelia nodded. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to assign Bradford to Kururugi’s detail when he arrives.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “Why? I thought you said he wasn’t going to leave you side to ensure he was safe.” It was one of the promises she had made to me in one of the initial reports after my defection.

“He’s been requested to the detail by his brother.”

I clenched my fist. It wasn’t long after my defection that Arata returned to active duty from his injuries. Due to his status as Knight of One, he was able to have a lot of say in regards to where certain Knightmare pilots were stationed. It seemed that he was stretching his reach out to even over his brother as well. It didn’t help that I hadn’t been able to speak with Bradford since my defection. I knew that he was still having a hard time accepting it, from the reports that Cornelia spoke with me about, but with his brother back in action, it worried me as to how this was affecting him.

“Jocelyn,” I heard Cornelia say, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I looked up at her. “Apologies.”

She smiled softly at me. “Jocelyn, he will be alright. He’s been through the same training as you, and Sir Kururugi wouldn’t purposely put him into any danger.”

I nodded. “I know, Princess. I have full confidence in Uncle, but this sudden change in command for Bradford worries me, especially with how close his brother is as Knight of One to Charles.”

Cornelia leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. “It is an interesting change, one that I have my sources working to find out why. In the meantime, continue operating as planned. I have no doubt that if you were to meet up with my forces that it will become a difficult battle.”

I smiled. “You forget, Princess, that I am more than capable of handling the soldiers under their command. You and Sir Guilford did train me after all.”

Princess Cornelia chuckled. “Yes, yes we did. I’ll be expecting an update following your mission.”

I nodded. “Understood,” I said before ending the call.

I sighed, standing up and moving over to my bed. I allowed my body to fall face first onto the bed, my face buried into the pillow. Exhaustion was quickly catching up, and I knew that soon I would be out cold. Sometimes I wished I had just a normal life, a plain Jane going through the motions. Then I remembered that was impossible, a smile growing on my face as the darkness started to take over my sight. _Never would I want to be something as boring as a plain Jane. That’s just not my style._ I fell asleep with a large smile on my face.

* * *

 

The bay doors opened below us, air blasting into the opening and into my face. We were several thousand miles into the air, making our way towards the objective. I stared down at the ground, the forests below moving as what seemed like a slow pace. A slow smile appeared as I appeared down at the world below us. Everything looked so small, so innocent. _If only they knew._

“Jocelyn,” a voice, Steiman’s, came on over my communicator.

I pressed my index finger to my communicator. “I told you before, it’s Dark.”

“Apologies, but you weren’t responding. The soldiers and I are prepped for departure. On your command, we can begin mission.”

“Understood. I’ll take point.”

I took off the key around my neck, inserting it into controller and entering the activation code. The lists of Knightmares appeared before me on the screen, and I smiled. _Speed. Guren. Shield. Cannon. Sword._ I had used them all before, all having a specific design, a specific purpose. Yet, none of them were needed at the moment as I scrolled past them. There was only one I had in mine of using for this mission. I smiled as it appeared on the screen before looking before me.

“Mission launch,” I announced, allowing myself to fall from the bay into the sky below us.

I could hear the bay doors behind me open, allowing for my soldiers and Steiman to launch their respective Knightmare frames. I turned my head back towards the ship, a smile on my face as I watched their float systems activate. _If only they knew what it felt like to be out here, just falling. It’s such a relaxing feeling, yet terrifying at the same time._ I looked towards the ground. _If only they knew._ I held the controller up and selected the Knightmare.

“Lancelot Flight, online.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For all updates in regards to progress on future chapters, please follow me on tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/libs1317.  
> I'm starting to do weekly updates on progress I'm making on not only Purple Determination but also any other works I have started or are in the process of starting.
> 
> Thank you for the read, and I hope you enjoyed it!


	15. Chapter 15

The Britannian soldiers weren’t ready for a surprise ambush from the air.  My soldiers were quick to take advantage of their surprise, quickly taking out the heavy damage weaponry.  I hovered in the air above the base, watching the dismantling of the defenses.  When I had joined the Black Knights, I had searched through all of the profiles of our soldiers, picking out the best Knightmare pilots to lead.  Lelouch had no objection to it, allowing for me to control the team as I saw fit.

When it was becoming evident that we were making steady progress towards the center of the base, I landed the Flight and began to make my way towards the base.  The sun reflected off the Flight with each movement, the black and white scheme sending an awe-inspiring gleam.  After my defection and my introduction to the Black Knights, it was made apparent that I couldn’t continue the blue-white color scheme that I had held under the Holy Britainnian Empire.  Luckily, I was able to find an option that would change the scheme accordingly, and the black-white scheme made its appearance, thus granting me the code name of Dark.

“Commander, we’ve broken through the main entrance,” the voice of my lead soldier, Kaoru, announced over my comm.

“Received.  Proceed,” I responded.

“Dark, there are enemy Knightmares making their way towards your location,” Steiman informed me.  He was towards the front of the assault team.

I turned my head to see several Vincents making their way towards me, recognizing one of them with a smile. “I see them.  Continue with mission; I’ll handle them personally.”

I stopped my approach towards the base, allowing for the Vincents to surround me.  There were six of them, all in an offensive stance as they circled me continuously.  My eyes continued to follow the one that was the most familiar to me when his voice came over his speaker.

“We won’t let you continue through, you Black Knight scum!” he announced, launching his Vincent at the Flight.

I chuckled, jumping into the air to dodge his attack, and wrapped my arm around the head of his Vincent.  I angled my saber just above his cockpit where a quick slice through would cut right through its pilot as well.  His companions were quick to stop their circling, the fear of what could happen to their commander filling the air around us.

“Did you really think you were going to be able to stop me?” I asked, keeping the saber by the cockpit.

“Who-who are…are you?” the pilot asked with a trembling voice.

I chuckled. “You don’t remember do you?” I pulled back, slicing through the Knightmare but allowing the pilot’s seat to eject. “I am Zero’s Hand, Jocelyn ri Britannia!”

The other Vincents backed away, surprised to find their commander cut down so easily and fearful of what my next action would be.  I looked around at them, raising my saber.

“Who’s next?”

* * *

 

The heels of my boots clicked through the hall as I made my way through.  My soldiers lined the halls, standing at attention as I passed in front of them.  There were several scientists kneeling beside them, captured in the raid.  I smiled as I walked past them, the fear ever present on their faces.  As I neared the end of the hall, two soldiers who were standing guard opened the doors in front of me to reveal a large laboratory. 

Steiman, dressed in his armor with a half mask covering the right of his face, stood with Kaoru, their weapons trained on several of the scientists.  I walked over to them, holding up my hand to signal them to holster their weapons; they complied and stood back.  I looked down at the closest scientist, his face filled with anger.  I knelt in front of him, my eyes on level with his.

“Where are the Japanese?  If you tell me, I can let you go so much sooner than if you were to lie to me,” I asked, my resolve not wavering.

The scientist spit at my boots. “Go to hell.”

I rolled my eyes, striking him hard with my fist. “I won’t repeat my question.”

The scientist looked up at me with a hardened expression, no answer coming from his mouth.  I walked around him towards the other scientists, looking to them for an answer.  They both remained silence, more fearful than their companion.  Seeing I wasn’t going to get anywhere with them, I nodded to Kaoru.  He motioned for several soldiers to drag the scientists out of the laboratory.  I looked around as I listened to their resistance out the door.

By the looks of the equipment in the laboratory, the main priority had been research.  I walked over to one of the several computers stationed in the room, curious as to what information it held.  _Human biology.  Knightmare technology.  Cybernetics._ I narrowed my eyes.  _What are you up to, Shadow?_

“You aren’t going to find anything of interest on those computers, Jocelyn.”

All of my soldiers turned at the sound of the voice, the sounds of their weapons swinging to the target.  I, though, was the last to turn towards our new guest.  He stood on catwalk above us, his teal hair and an orange mask on the left side of his face being his most prominent features.  I narrowed my eyes at him, a familiarity about this man probing at the back of my mind.  I took a step forward, my hands behind my back, as I moved to address the man.

“And where shall I find the information I’m looking for?” I asked.

The man smiled, jumping from the catwalk and landing in front of us.  He continued to smile, even as my soldiers continued to train their weapons on him.  In a flash, he was able to disarm the two nearest soldiers with his sword, his focus turning to me.  I had enough distance between the two of us that I quickly drew my own sword, blocking his attack.  _Thank you, Shinichiro._ I pushed back on the man’s sword, distancing myself again from him.  Activating my Geass, I took a defensive stance.

A chuckle emanated from the man as he smiled wider. “Unfortunately, I fear that your Geass won’t work against me,” he said, the eye hole of his mask opening to reveal what looked to be a blue light.

I could feel my Geass deactivate, causing a slight headache behind my eyes.  _Damn it!_ My free hand came up to my head as he launched himself towards me.  I deflected his attack and moved to the right.  I could see the confusion on Steiman’s face, the gears working as he started to work out a plan for the soldiers, their weapons raising.

“No!” I shouted, causing them to halt their movements.  I turned to face this man, my grip on my sword tightening. “He’s mine.”

The man smiled, standing straight as he aimed his sword at me.  I took a deep breath in, taking an offensive stance and raising my sword next to my head as it pointed towards my opponent.  My mind focused, and I could feel my body relax.  My opponent sensed my change in focus, immediately shifting to a more offensive position.  We stood there, the area around us lost to our minds.

We charged at each other, our swords clashing with all of our strength.  My blade slid up his blade, forcing his arm up as his surprised expression stared back at me.  He quickly regained his composure, launching several attacks to force me into a defensive.  I countered his moves, sending several attacks of my own to force a disruption in his pattern.  Gritting his teeth, he swung his sword, the block of mine sending a bone-chilling clang through the room.  I pushed back, thrusting my blade towards him, only for him to block my attack as well.

We traded several more attacks before pushing back against each other, putting an ample amount of distance between the two of us.  Taking a moment to calm our breathing, we launched at each other again, the clang of our swords meeting sounding loudly.  We stood there, fighting for position, when I brought my knee hard into his gut.  Surprise came over his face as he was pushed back, my leg coming down towards the ground.  Tightening my grip and pushing off with the now-planted foot, I thrusted my sword at his chest, only to be parried away.  My surprise only lasted a moment as moved to send his own attack.  I was able to move my sword back in front of me and block most of his attack, suffering some cuts to my arms.

Pushing against his blade, I felt my blood begin to boil as I saw a smirk appear on his face.  My knuckles turned white as I pushed hard against my blade, pushing him away from me.  _Does he think he can beat me in combat?  I was taught by one of the best Knightmare pilots the world has ever seen!  He taught me everything I know, and my teachers only reinforced his teachings!_ The anger inside me boiled over, and I could feel my Geass reengage.  This seemed to catch my opponent off guard, the blue in his left eye reappearing.  When my Geass didn’t deactivate, actual fear crossed over his face for a moment before he steeled himself.

“Big mistake,” I said before launching at him.

I could see his blocks before he had time to set them.  I moved quickly, drawing on my sparring with Father and Uncle as I continued to outmaneuver him.  I made sure to miss any vital points, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to leave him in some pain.  Noticing his balance being knocked off, I sent one final hit with my hilt at his chest, sending him flying into one of the desks.

I stood there, panting as I watched the man groan.  He slowly made his way off of the broken desk, my grip tightening on my sword.  Quickly, my soldiers and Steiman moved in front of me, their weapons trained on my opponent.  I moved to command them to stand back, but the clang of a sword hitting the ground broke my concentration.  I looked over to see the man standing with his hands in the air, a smile on his face.

“I surrender.  You have bested me, young Britannia,” he said.

I eyed him for a moment before returning my sword to its sheath.  I put my hand on Steiman’s shoulder, gently pushing him to the side. “Now that you’ve come to terms with that, just who the hell are you?”

The man chuckled. “You may call me Jeremiah.”

* * *

 

The Hound stood in the corner, watching as Jeremiah was led out of the laboratory by Jocelyn ri Britannia and her soldiers.  Her sword skills were as impressive as her Knightmare piloting skills.  He now understood why Shadow had so much interest in this young woman.  _Maybe this prophecy of his isn’t so tall of a tale after all._

He walked past the soldiers that had found him earlier, their eyes lined with red circles from his Geass.  He had just reached the end of the hallway, the balcony his destination, when his mask’s communicator indicated an incoming call.  Looking down at his controller, he saw that it was Shadow hailing him.

“Yes?” he answered.

“Is Jeremiah in place?”

“Affirmative.  Phase Four will be beginning shortly.  Also, an interesting development has been presented.”

Shadow leaned forward. “And what would that be exactly?”

The Hound knew that Shadow couldn’t see his smile, but by the sound of his voice, he knew that Shadow could tell he was smiling. “Her Geass has permanently activated.”

* * *

 

Shadow looked down at the Hound through his screen, knowing his surprised . “Understood.  Report back here immediately then.” 

The Hound ended the transmission, allowing for Shadow to lean back in his chair.  _So it’s begun.  Her Geass has been permanently activated.  Now begins the final stage._ His hand reached up to the necklace around his neck, his hand closing around the pendant.  After all these years, finally it was about to come to an end.  Everything was going to be different after today, and Shadow felt a different emotion in his chest, one that he hadn’t felt in years.  He felt happiness fill his chest.  Soon he wasn’t going to be a shadow anymore; soon the light would show the world who he really was.

A laugh began to emerge, filling the office.  Shadow couldn’t help himself.  _Finally.  It was time to show the world what was truly hidden in the shadows beneath all of their lies that they lived by.  Finally, the world was going to see what true evil was._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These weekly updates are becoming a thing again! Until I hit another writer's block, but by the looks of how the story is progressing so far, it doesn't look like one is on the horizon. Thankfully. You know the drill, and be sure to follow me on tumblr for all the updates!


	16. Chapter 16

I clasped my hands in front of me, my elbows resting on my knees, as I observed the others in the room.  There were five of us:  Jeremiah, Steiman, CC, Lelouch, and myself.  Lelouch even took off his mask, revealing his identity to Jeremiah, who chuckled at the revolation.  A burning knot inside me told me that he had known all along.  I watched in silence as he and Lelouch discussed Charles’s plan and a rescue plan for the missing Japanese.  It was with Jeremiah that we had finally found the location of the missing people.  I was finally going to keep my promise and bring them home.

Lelouch leaned back in his seat.  In front of him was a layout of a secret holding facility just on the outskirts of the SAZ but far enough underground that no one would have been able to detect it. “And what makes you so sure that all of our missing people are there, Jeremiah?”

Jeremiah’s smirk, one that was becoming a signature for him in the little time I’d known him, made its appearance once again. “Because I was the one who was in charge of putting them there.”

I narrowed my eyes, my hand aching to reach for my gun. “So why are you telling us this now?  Why are you admitting to kidnapping two thousand Japanese and hiding them in this facility, which you so curiously gave us the schematics for?”

Jeremiah’s expression dipped, the guilt ever present.  He stood up, walking over to the board that I had set up of all the information we had gathered since the Japanese went missing.  He stood quietly, staring at information, at the pictures, for a few minutes before speaking up again.

“Eighteen years ago, you made your appearance as Zero, Lelouch.  It was early in your campaign that Jocelyn’s mother gained access to her Knightmare, Guren,” he said softly.

Lelouch nodded. “That is correct.  You were the first to taste the power of the Guren, and right after that battle you went missing.”

Jeremiah nodded. “For the next sixteen years after, they experimented on me, creating the Geass Canceller and implanting it with me.  I have no recollection of those years.  It wasn’t until two years ago that I was finally brought out of my isolation by Shadow.”

I looked at Jeremiah confused. “Two years ago?  Why two years ago?”

Jeremiah shook his head. “I do not know.  What I do know is what I learned soon after.  There were three specific reasons.  The first reason is to keep my Geass Canceller out of Charles’s reach.”

“What was the second reason?” Steiman asked, finally finding his voice in the conversation.

“To help Shadow with his plan to take down Charles and put the rightful Britannian heir on the throne.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “The rightful heir?  And just who may that be?”

Jeremiah turned, a smile on his face. “That, my young friend, is you.  Which brings me to my third reason:  to help you fulfill the prophecy.”

_This doesn’t sound good._ “Just what are you talking about, Jeremiah?  And what are you talking about?  How am I the rightful heir to the Britannian throne?”

Jeremiah turned fully to face me. “Your father was part of the Britannian Royal Family, lost to time due to interference by a member of the Geass Order as CC here is,” he said, motioning to the green-haired woman who narrowed her eyes at him. “Thought dead to the world, the line of succession moved on.  That is until it was made aware that your father was still in fact alive.”

“So Jocelyn is the true heir of the Britannian throne, huh?  That makes it a bit difficult for her to take the throne if she’s aligned with us,” Steiman said, leaning against the back of my chair.

“That is true.  Which is why we are going to remove Charles from the throne.  Our first step will be rescuing the missing Japanese.”

I held my hand up, stopping Jeremiah from continuing. “Wait.  You mentioned a prophecy.” 

Jeremiah nodded, pulling out a data pad and handing it to me.  I eyed him before looking down at the pad.  It had pictures of old ruins, all with the same scripture on them.  The scripture wasn’t a language that I could understand, let alone read.  Jeremiah sensed my confusion at the ruins.

“A rose will blossom in the darkest of times, lighting the way to freedom.  She will see through deception, creating peace for all of those to follow.  Nothing remains hidden from her eyes, only she can be the truth,” he spoke clearly, reading off the three lines by memory. “It’s speaking of you and your Geass.”

I looked down at the ruins before turning my attention to him. “How do you know it’s me?”

“Shadow is the one who informed me of the prophecy, and he is the one who is sure that you are the one.”

I could feel Steiman’s hands clench the back of my chair. “That prophecy is so vague that it could have been anyone.  How do you know it’s her?”

Jeremiah looked towards Steiman, his eyes challenging him to make a move. “It was not my place to question the man who released me from an imprisonment.  I serve him now, but once the true heir of the Britannian throne is in place, then I will serve them.  Right now, that person is Jocelyn; I will not let anything happen to her or her accession to the throne, and if she is a part of the prophecy, then it is my duty to protect her, boy.”

I raised my hand to quiet both of them. “None of that matters right now unless we can save the Japanese.  We can focus on this prophecy and my role in it later.”

“Agreed,” Lelouch finally spoke up, a smile on his face. 

I watched as he began to discuss with Jeremiah and CC about the upcoming rescue, but my mind was still on the prophecy.  Steiman was right; it was too vague to know if I was who it was talking about, but that didn’t stop from the idea being planted in my head that I was.  I felt unnerved, finding out that not only was I the rightful heir to the Britannian throne but the potential subject of some centuries old prophecy.  I mentally groaned.  _Just when everything was becoming so much simpler, life decides to do this to me.  Great._

* * *

 

The night sky was clear; the sky above me bright from the stars.  I could hear the waves as they hit the cliff, but it was silent beyond that.  I stood near the railing, my arms crossed over my chest as I stared out to the open sea.  Tonight had brought a lot of new information to the floor, and my mind wouldn’t stop running as I thought over the new information.  To be told that you were the heir to one of the most powerful empires in the entire world was one thing; to be told that you were the possible focus as to a centuries old prophecy was an entirely different thing.  I felt like my shoulders were being weighed down even more now with this knowledge, and honestly, I didn’t really know how to feel about it. 

I should have been asleep at this point in the night as we were going to start Operation Rescue in the morning, but I couldn’t stand just laying down on my bed any longer.  The shift guards never questioned me as I would pass them; they knew better than to question my actions unless specified by Lelouch.  Even then, it was rare for them to stop me.  It wouldn’t have been the first time that I had stayed awake before a mission, but the amount of importance weighing on this mission was too important that I couldn’t afford not to-

The creaking of the door behind me snapped me out of my thoughts.  I spun quickly, my gun pulled from its holster and aimed at my new guest’s head.  I blinked a couple times, finally realizing that it was just Steiman.  He didn’t flinch at the barrel of my gun at his head, his eyes focused on me.  It was interesting to see how much he reminded me of Ichirou.  They had been friends when we were younger, thanks to their fathers’ previous friendship, but time and distance got to the better of them.

“I came to check on you,” he stated, his eyes not wavering.

Slowly, I slid my gun back into my holster, turning to face the sea again. “Well, I’m here, and I’m fine.  I don’t need a babysitter, Steiman.”

“I know, but that meeting tonight…that was a lot of information.” When it was obvious that I was choosing to remain quiet, he continued. “How are you?”

I remained quiet for a few moments before finding my voice. “Confused.  Angry.  Scared.  A mixture of all three?  I don’t know really.”

Steiman moved to my right, leaning his elbows against the railing. “Understandable with what’s gone on in the past few hours.”

I sighed, turning and leaning back against the railing. “Life has never been simple for me since Father passed, so it shouldn’t be surprising.”

Steiman looked over at me. “Yet you’ve pressed through it all, Jocelyn.  I know I wouldn’t have been able to do the things you have, and I just found out that my father’s Zero.  Sure, Princess Euphemia gave him a pardon after the initiation of the SAZ, but with the recent attacks that we’ve committed against the Britannian Empire, I doubt that those pardons will be of much use anymore.” He looked down at his hands. “I guess what I’m trying to say is you don’t have to go through this alone, Jocelyn.”

I huffed. “I kind of have to, Steiman.  If you haven’t noticed, everything’s riding on me, and I-“

The rest of my sentence, hell the rest of my thought, never found its way out of my mouth.  Steiman had reached over, cupping his hand around my neck as he pulled me towards him.  Our lips met softly, but whatever reaction he was looking for was instead met with utter confusion.  When he pulled back, my confused face looked at him, my chest tightening as we stared at each other.

He was the first to speak, a small smile on his lips. “Looks like I finally caught you speechless.”

My brain was still trying to catch up with what just happened. “I…what…why did you just kiss me?” I finally asked, my voice finding its way out of my throat.

“Because I’ve been in love with you since we were little, Jocelyn.  And with what’s going on around us right now, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to find another moment like now to tell you how I feel.”

I stared at him, not knowing how to react.  Suddenly, a shiver ran through my body, and I had a feeling of fleeing.  I wasn’t use to this feeling, but I knew my body was telling me I had to leave.  I shook my head, pushing past Steiman and running back into the building towards the stairs.  I didn’t know where I was going; I just let my feet carry me far away from the roof, far away from Steiman.  After a few minutes of sprinting, my legs finally slowed, allowing me to realize where I was heading.

I quickly opened the room to my door, closing it just as quickly behind me and putting up the noise-cancelling shield.  I slid down the door, pulling my knees to my chest.  For the first time in a long time, I finally broke down.  I didn’t know exactly why I was crying; maybe it was all the stress from this prophecy nonsense, or maybe it was from Steiman’s declaration of love.  Either way, my mental capacity for all these thoughts finally overflowed, and I cried.  I cried, wishing Mother and Katsu were near me.  I cried, wishing Bradford was beside me telling me that everything was going to be ok.  I cried harder, thinking about Father’s smile as he would have tried to cheer me up like he had when I was little.  It was only when I cried my hardest that I realized I was crying for me.  For all of these things around me to end.

_Why me?  Why did the universe have to choose me?_


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays! Whatever you celebrate, I hope you have a great one.

I stood in front of my mirror, staring at my reflection.  I had changed into my Knightmare pilot’s suit, the same one Lloyd had given to me.  Looking down at the controller on my wrist, it was hard to imagine that just over a year ago, none of this was happening.  I was just a young girl working to become a Knightmare pilot, wanting to find out who had killed my father.  _Who would’ve known that I’d end up here?_ I clenched my fists, looking back at my reflection.

A knock at my door brought me back from my thoughts. “Come in,” I answered, still staring at the mirror.

I saw Lelouch in his Zero outfit enter, closing the door behind him before activating the sound silencer.  Removing his mask, he set it on the table before take a seat.  I turned to face him, only to find a small smile on his face.  Confused, I moved to question him about it when he beat me to it.

“You remind me of your mother,” he said, the smile not leaving his face.

I froze, looking back at the mirror.  I had never seen my mother in her Knightmare pilot’s suit; she retired soon after finding out that she was pregnant with me.  She had told me she vowed never to wear the suit again, her family coming first and foremost.  The life was too dangerous, but I knew deep down she was proud of my decision to continue on the family decision.  As I stared at my reflection, I smiled a little at the thought of looking like her when I was her age, an accomplished Knightmare pilot ready to take on the evil of the world.

“Crazy to see where we’ve come from to now,” I said softly, turning back to Lelouch.

It was his turn to raise his eyebrow in confusion. “How so?”

I sat down on my bed, resting my elbows on my knees. “I don’t know what your intentions were before I joined, before I got the Black Knights involved in my search for the missing Japanese, but I know I’ve come far.  I chose to become a Knightmare pilot to find my father, to do him proud, and to avenge his death.  Now I’m about to save two thousand Japanese citizens from a mad king, still far from any knowledge as to why my father died, even when I’ve spoken to the man who is more than likely the person behind his murder.”

Lelouch leaned back in his chair, watching as I spoke.  He listened to every word, not interrupting until I had finished, a small smile of understanding on his face.  He stood up, walking over to my window.  He was quiet, hands behind his back as he stared outside.

“When I started the Black Knights, and in turn becoming Zero, it was due to my own selfish reasons.  My own mother was killed, leaving my sister, Nunnally, paralyzed and unable to see due to the shock of the ordeal,” he started softly. “I knew someone in my family knew something about my mother’s death, and after meeting C.C., I knew I had a way to find out who was responsible.  In a way, we’re very much alike.”

“Yet so different,” I replied, standing next to him.

He nodded. “I think the differences come from your father.  Always wanting to be the hero, always wanting to save those around him,” he said turning to me. “Today’s going to be important, though, Jocelyn.  This is the day you’ll leave your mark on the world.”

I looked at Lelouch. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve become such a clone of your father and I, knowingly and unknowingly following in our footsteps to where we are now.  Today, you’ll be remembered for your decisions, for your actions, and I know, no matter what the outcome is, your father would be extremely proud of you.”

I looked back out the window.  So much was running through my mind, yet I stood there quiet.  The amount of pressure riding on this mission rested on my shoulders.  Funny thing is, I felt confident.  If you had asked me how I would feel about the entire situation the night before, I probably would’ve killed you.  Yet I stood here, confident and strong, ready to take on this mission and to save two thousand lives from the horrors Emperor Charles had planned for them.

He would know the name Jocelyn ri Britannia.

* * *

 

The airship was high above where the battle was currently place.  I was in the commander center of the airship, watching as the two of our sections began their operations towards the base.  Kaoru led the left, and Steiman led the right.  They were pushing the Britannian forces in towards the base, leaving the middle the only opening left.  _Just as planned._ I turned and began my walk towards the hanger.  The doors slid open, and I found Jeremiah waiting by the Sutherland we had assigned him, his signature smirk on his face. 

“Are you ready?” I asked as I moved towards the bay door controls.

He nodded. “The sooner we get this operation finished, the sooner we can get you onto the throne.”

I pressed the control to open the bay doors. “What makes you so sure that I’m the one the prophecy’s talking about?  It was so vague that it could have anyone.”

Jeremiah chuckled, sitting down in the pilot’s seat. “Yet it is talking about you.  Because it names a unique feature that only you possess.”

Bringing up the selection screen, I looked up at Jeremiah’s Sutherland. “And what would that be?”

“Nothing remains hidden from her eyes; only she can be the truth,” he stated, maneuvering the Sutherland to the bay doors. “Your Geass power is that of a Hundred Percent Accuracy.  That’s doesn’t only mean your targeting will always be on point, young Jocelyn.”

I watched as he and several of my soldiers exited the bay, their float systems activating as they made their way towards the battlefield.  I stared down at the ground below me, and it was then that I realized the nerves rushing through my body.  Everything that I had worked for was culminating today, and I didn’t truly know how to feel about it.  _Would I be glad that this part of my life was about to be finished, even when I had so many other questions that needed to be answered?_   I took a deep breath, shaking my head.  I couldn’t continue to think about said thoughts; I had a mission to finish.

“Lancelot Fly launching.”

I jumped from the airship, the Fly enveloping me as I fell towards the ground.  The flight system activating, I hovered over my forces, watching as Jeremiah led his team towards the front of the base.  The Britannian forces were so focused on Kaoru’s and Steiman’s forces that they were unable to handle the onslaught of Jeremiah and my elite soldiers.  I landed safely behind the front lines, making my way towards the front of the base.  When the last of the Britannians were disposed of, our ground troops began to make their way towards the entrance.

I looked towards Kaoru. “You’re in charge.  No one must interrupt the operation.”

He stood at attention. “Yes, ma’am!”

Nodding, I powered down the Fly.  Jeremiah and Steiman were patiently waiting near the quickly-assembled barricades.  Steiman held up a rifle for me; I took it and quickly checked its ammo.  Lelouch never ceased to amaze me in how prepared he kept his forces.  I looked towards the two demolitions soldiers, signaling them to open the doors.  The following explosion created a large enough gap that five soldiers could enter at a time, but time was not something we had.  I charged in before anyone could react to the size of the hole, my Geass flaring as I took aim.

The enemy soldiers went down quickly, allowing for my men to charge in.  The room clearing began as I started to head down the hallway.  As we neared the end of the first hallway, Jeremiah broke into the last room on the right, quickly dispatching the two men inside.  I followed him inside, seeing that it was a security room.  The monitors showed coverage over much of the base, both inside and out.  As Jeremiah continued to type away at the controls, using what I assumed was his access codes to disable the cameras inside the base, I looked up at the monitors that were recording the battle outside.  As I viewed each screen, the incoming Knightmare frames caught my attention.

I pressed the button on the side of my comm. “Kaoru, Steiman.  Both of you get back outside.  Suzaku, Ichirou, and Bradford are closing in on the base, no doubt on the orders of the Emperor.”

“Understood.  We’ll head out now,” Kaoru answered.

Jeremiah watched as I made my order. “If they break through, are you going to be able to take them on?”

I looked at him, a smirk on my face. “Focus on the mission at hand.  We have to find the Japanese first and foremost.”

Jeremiah nodded, picking his rifle back up. “They shouldn’t be that much farther down.  I’ve knocked out the rest of the security from here, so it should be easier to reach them.”

I nodded, exiting the room with him.  I motioned to five of the waiting troops, signaling them to follow us.  We made our way into the awaiting elevator, watching as it sped down several floors.  I watched as the men checked their ammo, Jeremiah’s eyes on me.  I looked at him questioningly, but he shook his head, refusing to answer for his stare.  Something about it felt off, but I couldn’t place my finger on it.  It was then that the elevator came to a racing halt, causing the seven of us to slam to the ground of the elevator.  Groaning, I sat up, noticing the elevator doors opening before us.

I looked up to see what looked to be a large hanger, one that could hold several Knightmares in it at once.  I rose to my feet quickly, raising my rifle and taking a step out of the elevator as Jeremiah helped the men back to their feet.  As I continued to walk into the hanger, I heard the elevator doors slam shut behind me.  Jeremiah was quick to rush the door, trying to unlock it from his side but to no avail.  He looked at me in horror as the elevator began its descent back down.  I knew I should have felt surprise, possibly even be frightened about the change of events, but I was surprisingly calm throughout the quick ordeal.  I turned around, intending to look for the nearest exit, when I noticed someone on the other side of the room.

The man stood with a sword in his hand, a mask over his face.  He stood about six inches taller than me, his body lean but muscular.  His grey hair was cut short, barely hanging above his eyes.  It was then that I noticed his eyes; the blue stared hard into my purple.  I tossed my rifle to the side and pulled out my sword, extending it to its full blade.  _Probably one of Charles’s elites.  Maybe even a Knight of the Round.  Either way, I’m going to have to be at the top of my game._

“Jocelyn ri Britannia.  I’m glad we finally have the chance to meet,” he said loudly, slowly starting to walk towards me.

“You have me at a disadvantage then,” I replied, taking a defensive stance. “I don’t particularly enjoy having someone I don’t know walk towards me, especially with a sword in his hand.  I’ve seen too many of those interactions head south for the other person.”

The man chuckled, stopping but not sheathing his weapon. “You mean Jeremiah, don’t you?”

I narrowed my eyes. “How do you know him?”

I could see the smile in the man’s eyes. “Because he and I work for the same man, Shadow.”

“And just who are you then?”

“My targets call me the Hound.”

He was on me in a heartbeat, knocking me back with a hard knee to the gut.  _He’s as fast as Uncle is._ He came again, sword raised above his head, but this time I was able to deflect the attack, parrying it to the side before moving in the opposite direction.  He kept me on the defensive, backing me further towards the walls.  I could almost feel the wall on my back.  At his next attack, I jumped into the air, crossing blades with him before landing on my feet behind him.  I dashed backwards to put several yards of distance between us.

“Dark, come in!” Jeremiah called over the comm.

“A bit busy here, Jeremiah,” I said, raising my blade into a defensive stance.

“Do not let him take that mask off.  If he does, he’ll be able to command you.  He’s a Geass user!”

_Shit!_ As if sensing my conversation, the Hound began to reach for his mask.  I lunged at him, throwing as many attacks as I could towards him.  He parried each attack with ease, a glint in his eyes.  _It’s as if he’s enjoying this._ Our blades met, each side struggling for power over the other.  It was when he started to chuckle that my concentration faltered, causing him to get the upper hand.  I deflected his attack, jumping back and putting distance between us.

“You’re as ever the young fighter as I imagined you would be, Jocelyn,” he said, straightening up. “You’ve become a much better fighter than when you were younger.”

I tried to calm my breathing, exhaustion threatening to take over. “And just how would you know how much of a fighter I was when I was younger?”

He laughed, reaching up to his mask.  I began to move towards him but stopped when I saw the face behind the mask.  Fear and confusion froze my limbs as the mask dropped to the floor, clanking to the ground.  His blue eyes were transfixed on my reaction, his smile growing with each passing moment.  Everything about him caused me to freeze; tears rolled down my cheeks, and my mouth fell open at the recognition.

_Father._  


	18. Chapter 18

When I was younger, I would follow Father around in the house, begging him to let me help him with anything he was doing.  Washing the dishes, cleaning up the living room, organizing papers; I was his little helper.  He traveled every week for work, leaving for days at a time.  He would return with presents for all of us, promising Mother that whatever project he was working on was almost complete.  I didn’t understand what he meant at the time, but I knew that the project held a high importance to his bosses.

When I was five, I found scrapbooks Mother had made of her time in the Black Knights.  I was mesmerized by the different pictures of the Knightmares, instantly taking a liking to them.  When Father saw my interest, he took me out to the large hanger behind our house, the one he had forbade entrance into, and showed me his Lancelot 2.0 and Mother’s Guren.  Questions flew out of my mouth, and I was enthralled by them.  Like any other child my age, I wanted to be a pilot just as my parents had been.

As I grew older, that dream begun to fade away, but my love for the Knightmares never did.  When Katsu was old enough, Father would take us both to the hanger, letting us sit in the 2.0 and pretend we were Knightmare pilots.  As I entered high school, I began to focus more towards my studies but would go out to the hanger on occasion.  I couldn’t get away from them, even if I tried.

As it got closer to my sixteenth birthday, I had to think hard as to what I wanted as presents.  I wasn’t one to think about new shoes or a car; I was perfectly content with what I already had, and at the time, I had more important decisions on my mind.  I was ahead of schedule for my classes, so the idea of graduating early from Ashford Academy was a possibility.  Mother was ecstatic about the prospect, and I had never seen Father beam as proudly as he had.  The only problem was that I had no idea what I wanted to do after.

“Do whatever you want, Joce.  No matter what, I know you’ll excel at whatever you put your mind to,” Father had said, his smile ever present and comforting.

I had maps of different career paths laid out on my desk, from attending university to going straight into the work force.  Several were unappealing, but it was always good to have back-up plans laid out.  As I sat at my desk staring at the maps for what seemed like the hundredth time, I finally looked up to see a picture of Mother and Father standing in front of their Knightmares with bright smiles on their faces.  It was my favorite picture of them before I was born; their smiles lighting up their faces as they faced the new challenges their relationship would bring.  It was then that I had made up my decision.

I chose to attend university after I graduated, majoring in Mechanical Engineering.  Both Mother and Father were concerned about the decision, but they supported me nonetheless.  I felt proud of my decision, feeling as if my world was falling into place.   If only I had known what was the future had in store for me.

After Father’s funeral, I found myself staring back at the maps of my paths.  When I had made each path, I thought I had figured out each option that was laid out before me.  I thought I had gone through each scenario with precise calculation, no path left untouched.  I wasn’t planning on living my childhood dream of becoming a Knightmare pilot, but here I was, about to become one.  I looked back up at the picture of my parents, and my heart hurt a little more.  The happiness in that picture was never going to happen again; the family they had created was never going to be whole again.  I took the picture off the wall, putting it into one of the desk’s drawers.  I never looked at the picture again.

* * *

 

My body was frozen in place; my eyes were locked onto his face.  The only thing he had changed was his hair, cut short with bangs hanging slightly above his eyes.  His smile, once warm and comforting, was pulled back in that same nature, but it didn’t hold that same open warmness that I had seen as a child.  Before me was the man who I admired for my entire life, and it felt like I was looking at a stranger. 

“What’s wrong, Jocelyn?  Cat got your tongue?” he asked mockingly.  Even his voice was the same, the warmth missing as he spoke.

“H-how…how is…how is this possible?  You’re…you’re supposed to be dead…” I heard my voice say.

He tilted his head to the left, his smile growing on his face.  He lifted his hand to chest, opening his vest to show a scar right above where his heart lay.  “I was, but I was revived shortly after.  Shadow and Emperor Charles are very gracious men.”

Anger ran through my body at the mention of Charles, replacing the fear that had stilled my movements. “So kidnapping Japanese makes Charles a gracious man, huh?  He KIDNAPPED them, Father.  TAKEN from their homes,” I said, my hands clenching into fists.

“They’ve been recruited to a higher purpose.”

“Do you even hear yourself?  You’re part Japanese; I’m part Japanese!  Mother and Katsu are part Japanese!  They’re of our blood!”

Father laughed, his voice deep and empty. “Our blood?  Our family should be on the throne!  I was next in line to become ruler if it hadn’t been for V.V.!  We could be ruling this world, but we were robbed of this chance.  Charles can make our accession to the throne so much easier; all we have to do is introduce these Japanese to eternity, and we will have it all!”

I stared incredulously at Father.  I couldn’t believe my ears.  This man was not the caring father that had taught my brother and I that everyone matter, that everyone was an important part of this life.  He had been replaced, twisted, into a monster, wearing my father’s face like it was his own.  I shook my head, drawing my sword and extending it to its full blade.  I couldn’t let this continue, not with so many lives on the line.  Sensing my change in demeanor, Father narrowed his eyes at me.

I felt a single tear run down my cheek as I lifted my head to look at him. “I won’t let you succeed, Father.”

Father drew his own sword.  Its design was twisted, matching his current nature. “We’ll just see about that, now won’t we?” he said, his smile growing as he took a battle stance.

A moment of silence passed by before he charged towards me, his sword swinging towards my head.  My blade came up and met it, the clash sounding in the room around us.  Our blades met several more times as we moved about the room in combat.  With his advantage in strength, he was able to keep me backpedaling, trying to keep my footing as I blocked each of his attacks.  An opportunity came when he missed with a swing, allowing me to use a nearby container to launch myself into the air above him.  I brought my blade down with as much strength as I could muster.

I could hear Father’s chuckle as I looked up, a second sword in his right hand.  He had managed to draw it in the little time I was in the air and blocked my aerial attack.  Realizing the situation of my current position, I quickly moved back away from him, my breath hard in my chest.  His smile grew as he turned to face me, both swords shining in the little light that came into the hanger.  I kept my blade raised, my body positioning into a defensive stance, but I knew it would be harder to defeat him the longer I kept like this.

His eyes watched me curiously, his smile never leaving his face. “Come now, Joce.  Is that the best you’ve got?  You had so much potential when you were younger.”

My grip on my sword tightened, but my senses pushed for me to stay relaxed.  Charging into battle, especially headfirst against Father, had never been a wise strategy.  He laughed at my calm demeanor, launching towards me with a swing of his blade.  Our blades met with a clang, breaking contact only to meet again a moment later.  Close to losing my balance, Father sent a kick towards me, causing me to double back again.  Just as I had regained my footing, his foot swung up and connected with my left arm, knocking me into the wall.  I feel to the ground, my sword clanking as it bounced away from me.

A pain stabbed into my back; I bit down hard on my bottom lip to keep from crying out.  I turned my head to see Father standing behind me, the bottom of his boot digging into my back.  His smiled grew, digging the heel of his boot harder into my back, causing an involuntary gasp to escape my mouth.  Even as his boot dug deeper, I would not give him the satisfaction he was looking for.  As I steeled myself for a counter, the clanking of blades sounded above me, and Father’s boot pushed off of me.

A hand grabbed my elbow, pulling me back and to my feet.  I looked up to see Jeremiah standing above me, sword drawn and positioned defensively towards Father.  He moved in front of me as I adjusted into a comfortable position, Father’s chuckle echoing through the hanger.

“Well, well.  This is an interesting turn of events, Jeremiah,” he said, swinging his sword in a circle.

“The moment you gave up your honor to attack your daughter, Rai, the decision was made.  I will not allow you or Shadow to harm the true heir of the Britannian Empire!” Jeremiah proclaimed, launching himself towards Father.

Father parried Jeremiah’s attack, dodging the leg sweep with ease. “True heir?  That’s laughable, Jeremiah,” he said with his twisted smile, launching into a quick counter. “I’m the true heir!”

I pulled myself to my knees, reaching for sword.  My hand wrapped around the hilt, my grip tightening as I started to stand.  The clashing of Father and Jeremiah’s battle continued in the background as my rage began to build.  _To think…that Father would give up…on everything that he taught me…_

“I won’t let you get away with this!” I shouted, running towards Father.

The aggressiveness of my attacks caught Father off guard, putting him on the defensive as I continued my barrage of attacks.  If not for his speed, more of the attacks would have landed because of my Geass.  Seeing that he was losing his advantage, he pushed off of my blade, placing distance between us.  I didn’t give him the chance to recover, quickly closing the distance as I brought my sword down hard on his blade.

I could see in his eyes his mind moving to figure out some way to break my momentum, throwing a punch towards my head.  I ducked underneath it, bringing my knee up hard into his stomach.  His breath rushed out, causing him to pause.  I brought my elbow down on his back, knocking him to the ground.  Before he could move away, I dug my knee into the middle of his back, the blade of my sword pressed up against his throat.

“Jocelyn wait!” Jeremiah called as he ran up to us.

I looked up at him, the rage slowly starting to subside.  I looked down at Father, my feelings conflicted. “What is Jeremiah?  Something has to be done about-“

“Look at his eyes.”

I looked at Jeremiah, who motioned towards Father.  I eyed him carefully before turning my attention towards Father.  That’s when I saw it, the red circles around Father’s eyes. “What is that?”

“Someone else has been controlling him through a Geass,” Jeremiah answered, leaning down in front of Father.  The white core of his left eye opened, revealing a blue Geass marker that was upside down.  I could feel Father stop struggling as their eyes met, the fight seeming to drain out of his body. “There, that should do it.  Let’s help him to his feet.”

I looked at Jeremiah before doing as he said, helping Father to his feet but sword still drawn.  I watched carefully as Father looked at us then around us, confusion all over his face.  When he turned back to us, his eyes searched almost analytically before they focused on me.  Then they widened in surprise.  It was as if I was looking at a different person.  His hands began to shake; he stumbled back a few steps.

“Jo…Jocelyn?” he asked softly.

I looked at him before turning my attention to Jeremiah.  He glanced at me before moving slightly towards Father. “Rai.  Do you recognize me?”

Father blinked a couple times before realization struck in his eyes. “Jeremiah Gottwald.  Orange Boy.  I thought you were dead.”

“No.  Very much alive.  What is the last thing you remember?”

Father looked at him questioningly before turning his attention back to me. “I remember…being shot.  Kallen at my side…Being rushed to the hospital.  Then…” He looked at his feet when realization suddenly struck him.  He turned his eyes back up to us. “How long?”

Before I could ask my question to his confusion, Jeremiah spoke up. “Three years.  I had always assumed that Shadow had some Geass powers, but you have only just confirmed my suspicions.”

The color drained from Father’s face. “Three years...” He looked at me, the sadness in his eyes tugging at my heart. “My little girl…you look so much like your mother.”

It was then that his smile appeared.  It was the smile that he always reserved for me, the one that let me know how important I was to him.  It was then that I knew he was back.  I ran over to him, tossing my sword to the floor and wrapping my arms around his neck.  I had my father back, but the danger was not over.  It was only beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such the long wait on this update. Life and school caught up to me like no other. Hope everyone enjoys it!


	19. Chapter 19

“Dark, we have a problem!”

At the sound of my code name over the comm, my mind switched gears. “What’s going on?”

“It’s the Britannian forces.  They’re not making this rescue easy.”

I stepped out of Father’s embrace and turned to Jeremiah. “The Japanese civilians?”

“They were loading transportation trucks when I left.  I’ll head that way now; you need to get out and stall the Britannians,” Jeremiah answered before turning and rushing towards the elevator.

I felt Father’s hand rest on my shoulder.  I turned to look at him, worry etched on his face. “I’m not letting you go out there against the Britannians, Joce.  Suzaku is their strongest Knight; that much I remember.”

I smiled gently, moving his hand off of my shoulder as I turned towards the back of the hanger.  After a quick scan, I ran over to the door’s controls.  I was surprised to find that all of my Britannian codes still worked, but I had a hunch that it was due to Princess Cornelia’s doing.  I could hear Father running up behind me as the hanger doors began to open.

“Are you listening to me?” He called over the rush of wind that entered.

I turned to him. “I do, but I have to do this.”

The wind died down as we stared at each other. “We always have a choice, Jocelyn.  You don’t have to do this.”

I shook my head. “This is my choice, Father.  After your “death,” I trained under Princess Cornelia and Sir Guilford.  I enlisted into the Britannian Empire because I could be trained as Knightmare pilot.  I could finaly be like you and Mother.  I completed my trials by defeating Uncle Suzaku in the Lancelot 2.0.  My first mission as a Warrant Officer was to find out what happened to the Japanese.  The mission is still going on, and I will see it through, whether you like it or not.” I held up the bracelet. “I’m the only one who can.”

Father’s eyes narrowed at the bracelet. “That’s…”

“Yes.  Your invention from the Research Division.  When all of this started, I was able to use it to defeat an attack on the division’s headquarters.  Now I use it to help those who need me, and I’m needed right now, Father.”

Father stared at me for a moment.  Then a smile started to grow on his face. “My little girl.  All grown up,” he said with a slight shake to the head. “Just…be careful.”

I smiled, pulling up the selection menu. “Always.”

Soon I was in the Lancelot Fly, speeding towards the main fighting.  Sure enough, Suzaku and Ichirou were at the front of the force.  When they saw the Fly coming into view, they broke off of their respective fights and turned to face me.  I flinched slightly at the sight of Bradford’s Gloucester.  _I had hoped he wouldn’t be here, but somehow I knew he would be here._ A screen appeared to my right, Suzaku’s face appearing on it.

“By the order of the Britannian Empire, I order you to surrender.  You have been marked as a traitor to the Empire, Jocelyn.  You will have to come with us,” he said, the obvious pain on his face as he spoke.

“Suzaku, this is where the missing two thousand Japanese were being held.  The Black Knights are liberating them as we speak, so you’ll excuse me if I don’t do as you ask,” I said, pulling out one of my blades.

A screen for Ichirou came up on my left. “What are you talking about?”

“Exactly what I said, Ichirou.  Our missing people were held here at a secretive Britannian base against their will, and I will not allow you to hold them again,” I answered.

A silence enveloped between the three of us.  I knew if it came down to it, I would be able to take on most of the forces on my own, but with Suzaku and Ichirou here, it was going to be problematic if they focused on me.  Not to mention, Bradford was here as well; he hadn’t said a word since the standoff began, so I could only imagine what was running through his mind.

“Speeds.”

I looked towards him, his voice surprisingly calm. “Bradford.”

He moved his Knightmare so that it was just in front of Suzaku and Ichirou. “If we let the Japanese and the Black Knights go, will you come with us?”

Taken aback by his offer, I turned my focus fully to Bradford. “What?”

“Warrant Officer Shushiki, we cannot-“ Ichirou began to say before Bradford interrupted him.

“If we let the Japanese and the Black Knights go, will you come with us?  Princess Cornelia will see that you have a fair trial, and I will make sure that they leave peacefully.  On my honor,” Bradford reiterated.

He reached out his hand.  I stared down at it, thinking about all that I had accomplished to this point.  I knew the consequences coming into my defection to the Black Knights.  This was an opportunity for them to safely disappear, and all of the past year’s crime from the Black Knights could fall on my shoulders.  I bit the bottom of my lip.  _Bradford promised a fair trial, but would it really be one with Charles still emperor?  Everything we’ve done has been in opposition against him; he would rather see me dead than alive._

Before I could debate it any further, several shots split the space between us.  I moved back away, looking down to see Steiman’s Sutherland aiming its rifle at us. “What are you doing?” I shouted in anger at him.

“Deal’s off!” Ichirou announced as he launched towards Steiman.

Cursing to myself, I went after Ichirou, slamming into his side and away from Steiman.  We crashed into the ground, my arm pinning his shoulders to the ground. “What are you doing, Jocelyn!” Ichirou yelled as he struggled to get up.

“Fighting’s not going to solve anything, Ichirou!” I shouted back.

His harkuns shot out from their rib placement, forcing me to move off of him quickly.  In the distance I could see Bradford and Steiman fighting.  Sensing movement to my right, I ducked underneath Ichirou’s punch, kicking his legs out from underneath him.  I held my sword at him, giving him reason to pause.

“Status,” I said into my comms.

“The Japanese civilians are on their way to the base.  I’m with the rear security to make sure we aren’t followed,” Kaoru answered.

“Kind of busy right now,” Steiman answered.

I bit my bottom lip hard, trying my hardest to calm my temper. “Why did you attack?”

“I wasn’t going to let the Britannians take you as a prisoner, Dark.”

“Enough bickering you two,” my Father’s voice came on over the comm. “We have to end this quickly.”

I looked around confused. “Father?  Where are you?”

A clash sounded above me. “Suzaku and I are…getting reacquainted.”

Suddenly I was thrown back, slamming through several trees.  Groaning, I slowly began to push myself up to a sitting position.  Ichirou stood in front of me, swords drawn.  I rose to my feet, turning to face him as I drew my second sword.

“I’m not letting you get away, Jocelyn,” he said in a neutral tone.

I took a defensive stance. “You don’t have a choice, Ichirou.”

I could feel the anger burst from him as he charged at me, his blades swinging at me erratically.  Yet, despite the stresses of the current situation, I was calm.  I moved about as if I were dancing, parrying his attacks with ease as we moved around the landscape.  With each deflected blow, his anger continued to rise.  I was having…fun with him.  It wasn’t on purpose, but this battle wasn’t garnering my attention as well as it should have been.  I was able to let my body react naturally, and I felt relaxed, almost at peace.

His next swing was high, allowing for me to duck under.  My opportunity arrived, and I cut through his right leg, sending his Knightmare to the ground.  I moved back, watching as he struggled to gain some ground in order to stand.  The leg was beyond able to hold weight any longer, and I could practically hear Ichirou’s yells from inside his Knightmare.

“I told you, Ichirou, you didn’t have a chance,” I said, sheathing my blades.

“You’re right about one thing, Miss Britannia.  You don’t have a chance.”

A new voice caught all of our attentions.  I looked up to see a large Knightmare with what looked like high-powered cannons on its shoulders.  It dark designed set waves of familiarity through my body, causing a tension to rise.  _That looks…those designs look like…_ A chuckle, one that I had heard only once before, back on Shikine Island, confirmed my thoughts.

“It was so nice of you to destroy the Banisher for me.  My researchers had spoken with Veector on many occasions beforehand, but to see where its weaknesses lay was very helpful in the final design of this Knightmare.  Let me introduce you to the Last One,” Shadow said as a screen of his masked face appeared.

I narrowed my eyes. “Why?  Why do any of this?  Are you with Charles or are you against him?”

“I’m with me.  Charles is a means to an end, and you are my weapon to use again him.  The prophecy confirms it,” Shadow answered, turning towards Father and Suzaku. “I am very disappointed in you, Hound, for disobeying my orders.  I’m afraid I’m going to have to terminate your contract.”

“Where are my manners?  I’ll just quit for you.  Less paperwork that way,” I heard Father answer.

Suddenly the cannons on Shadow’s Knightmare began to glow. “My thoughts exactly.”

Twin beams shot out of the cannons towards Father and Suzaku.  My heart felt as if it had stopped at the sight.  _No!  I just got him back!_ I was too slow to reach them, too slow to save them.  Just when the hope had drained out of my heart, a surprising voice appeared.

“Not on my watch!”

Bradford flew at them, knocking them both out of the paths of the beams, taking the shot instead.  His Gloucester floated for a moment before beginning its plunge towards the ground.  I stood frozen as I watched it fall, my heart in my throat.  I vaguely recall the Shadow’s laughter as he disappeared into the clouds above us or Suzaku’s call to chase after him.  All I could think about was Bradford as I raced to where his Gloucester had landed.

I powered down the Fly and rushed over to the wreckage, desperately searching for any signs that his pilot’s seat ejected.  I shouted his name, hoping that he would hear my calls and give me some sign that he was alright.  That’s when I found it; the seat had ejected, but there was heavy damage to it.  I rushed over to the seat, pulling off the door.  Bradford laid inside, a piece of shrapnel lodge into his side.  He smiled weakly at me.

“Hey Speeds.  Long time no see,” he tried to joke before a wave of coughs overcame him.

I hurried to unbuckle him from his seat, dragging him out of the cockpit. “I got you.  You’re going to be ok.”

He leaned his head back against my shoulder. “I wish that were so, Speeds.”

When I had pulled him far enough away from the wreckage, I gently laid him down on his back, propping his head up onto my lap. “Helps on the way.  You need to stay awake until they get here ok?” I said softly, trying to keep my voice from breaking.

He looked up at me slowly, watching as the tears started to form in my eyes. “You know…I wish we had more time together.”

“Why did you do it?” I asked, trying, and failing, to keep the tears away.

He smiled softly. “That other Knightmare pilot…he’s your father, isn’t he?  You finally found him.  I wasn’t about to let that bastard take him away again.”

The tears were running down my cheeks freely. “You…you idiot!  You can’t just do that and die on me!”

He chuckled softly. “I always loved doing things you hated.”

“How can you joke at a time like this?” I asked bitterly.

“Because I’m in the arms of the girl that I love.”

I froze, looking down at him. “You…you love me?”

Bradford smiled. “Course I did.  How could I not?”

I stared down at Bradford, my heart beating fast in my chest. “You…you love me…” I couldn’t hold back the tears, and I didn’t want to.

His hand reached up, gently wiping the tears off of my cheek. “Hey…hey don’t cry.”

“Then don’t die.”

He looked up at me confused, his hand resting on my cheek. “What?”

I turned my cheek in his hand, gently kissing his palm. “Don’t…die.  Please…don’t die Bradford.”

He smiled softly, the light fading out of his eyes. “I love you, Jocelyn.”

“I love you too.  I love you too, Bradford.  Please don’t die!”

When only silence followed, I finally looked down at him, the pain and fear rising in my throat.  His breathing had stilled, his eyes were closed, but he had a smile on his face.  He looked at peace, and I felt broken all over again.  Slowly I laid him to the ground as I heard footsteps coming towards us.  I looked up to see Father and Suzaku, along with several Britannian forces behind them.  They slowed to a stop as they took in the sight of Bradford and I.  I looked to my father, his eyes filled with dread, before returning them to Bradford.

I had completed my mission.  I had found my father.  But I had lost the love of my life without him evening knowing how much he meant to me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> So there's only one more chapter after this. The plan is to write a sequel to this, but as to when it will start appearing is a timeline I don't have set out yet. There are other works I have planned for my other fandom loves, I've started writing an original novel, I have school, I have work, and I have other commitments to take care of as well.
> 
> Make sure to follow me on tumblr to keep up with what I'm writing and when new works will be deputing! Tumblr handle is libs1317 or use the hashtag #wapaksoccet13


	20. Chapter 20

Bradford’s funeral fit for a Knight of the Round, surprising many but not me. Suzaku had pushed for it, one of the few ways he tried to express his apologies to me. I watched the funeral from a hill north of the cemetery he was to be buried at. I was still considered a traitor in the eyes of those loyal to Charles, so my appearance would only draw unwanted attention. I stood silently as I watched them lower his casket into the ground, his mother crying in the arms of his brother.

I continued to stare down at the funeral even as I heard someone approach from behind. I felt a hand gently rest on my shoulder, and I turned my head slightly to see Father standing behind me. He looked as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders since the rescue of the Japanese, but his eyes still held worry. I smiled a little, knowing that I was at the forefront of his worries right now.

“I’m fine, Father. I promise,” I said softly, patting his hand before returning my gaze to the funeral. It was slowly coming to an end.

“I understand that you’ll need time to mourn, Jocelyn, but we’re going to need to start planning for Shadow’s return soon.”

I nodded. “I know. And when he returns, I’ll be ready for him,” I said as I turned and left the hill.

Our transportation was waiting for us on the other side of the cemetery. Lelouch and the rest of the Black Knights were waiting for our return, but there was one stop we still had yet to make since our return. The ride out into the country was quiet; Jeremiah had volunteered to drive while Father and I sat in the back of the car. Neither of us wanted to admit that the nervousness of the situation was slowly building with each passing minute. When the house came into view, we knew it was too late to turn around now.

Cornelia’s guards had long since left the security posts they helped to set up around the property, but Lelouch had made sure that they were well protected with Black Knights. They were quick to let us through to the main property; the gravel crunching underneath the tires knowingly giving away our approach. Jeremiah pulled to a stop a few meters from the house, and I could see Mother and Katsu watching us from the front porch. Katsu looked on with wonder, but I knew Mother could already sense that something noteworthy was about to happen.

I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before turning to Father. “Ready?” I asked.

Father was still staring out the window towards Mother and Katsu, his voice caught in his throat. “They…I’ve missed so much…” he whispered.

Gently taking his hand in mine, I waited until he turned to face me before speaking. “No matter what, I’m going to be right there with you. It’s going to be a shock, but we’ll do this together.”

He searched his eyes for a moment before nodding. I returned his nod before stepping out of the car first. I heard Katsu cheer my name as the tension in Mother’s face visibly drained from her face. Katsu began running towards me, his bright smile on his face. I chuckled as I began to make my way to meet him. He ran into my arms, hugging me tightly.

“You’ve gotten tall, Katsu,” I said, leaning back to look at him. “Almost taller than I am.”

“That’s what happens when you leave for so long!”

Soon Mother joined the hug, pulling the both of us tightly against her. “I’m so happy you’re safe,” she whispered in my ear, hand moving into my hair.

I smiled and slowly stepped out of their embrace. They both looked at me in confusion. “I didn’t come alone,” I said as I turned to face the car.

They both followed my gaze, and I could hear their gasps as they saw who was standing by the car with Jeremiah. Father stared over at the three of us, a small smile on his face as he started to walk towards us. Before I knew it, Mother was sprinting to him, throwing herself into his arms. It was the first time I had seen my parents so lovingly. I could hear both of them asking questions, but it was the tears that I saw on Father’s cheeks that finally brought tears to my eyes.

Our family was reunited. A dream that neither of us believed was going to come true was fulfilled. It was like walking back in time, but none of us were the same. Our family would never be the same after the past three years, and it was something that I had accepted when I saw Father pull Katsu into a hug. We would never be the same family again, and I was ok with it. I had changed for the better, and the world around me had changed significantly. I had a purpose now; I had a reason to keep fighting against Charles and Shadow. I walked over to my family and joined the group hug, the desire to protect all of them no matter the cost burning deep in my chest.

* * *

 

Lelouch was watching the security tapes that Jeremiah had managed to procure from the Britannian base on the day of the Japanese liberation. He was surprised to find that his friend Rai had indeed been alive the past three years, but to see him under the influence of a Geass user was unsettling. To be controlled by another user was unsettling, especially with Rai’s abilities. Lelouch had witnessed firsthand how easily it was for the young man to defeat anyone who stood in their way, and it sent shivers down Lelouch’s spine thinking about what Rai had done in the past three years. 

What surprised Lelouch the most was Jocelyn’s resolve. Even after finding out that her father had some minor role in the disappearance of the Japanese, she was ready to end the threat that was her father. She reminded him so much of himself that he could only smile at the thought. Lelouch leaned back in his seat as the footage of Shadow appeared on the screens in front of him.

Shadow’s appearance with this new Knightmare, an improved version of the Banisher, was unsettling. Having Rai under his control and possibly the involvement of Veector’s designs from the destroyed Banisher to create this powerful construct could make future conflicts with Shadow a problem. Lelouch could only imagine what Shadow had instore for the future. He did not know if Shadow was a pawn of Charles or if he was continually acting accordingly to his own agenda.

A knock on the door broke Lelouch from his thoughts. “Enter,” he answered, already knowing who was present.

C.C. and Steiman entered the room, locking the door behind them. Lelouch had seen very little of his son since the liberation, since Bradford Shushiki’s death. He knew that Steiman blamed himself for the young man’s death but especially for the pain that it caused Jocelyn ri Britannia. He had seen the same look on his son that he had long ago when he had fallen in love with his wife. Standing from his desk, he walked over to Steiman and placed his hand on his son’s shoulder. His son looked up at him, a confused and conflicted expression on his face.

“Give her time, Steiman. She needs time to adjust,” Lelouch said softly.

Steiman nodded once before looking down towards his feet. “I know, Father. I just…I know.”

Lelouch knew Steiman was looking for more comfort than he could be offered, but there wasn’t anything else he could do for the young boy. He looked to C.C., who was curiously watching the two of them. She had been surprised by the power of the Geass user controlling Rai; to be able to control someone with a willpower such as Rai’s was disturbing to both of them. C.C. had told Lelouch that she was going to investigate the matter further, but Lelouch already knew that it would be a pointless search unless they managed to gain more intel on the user themself.

Lelouch watched as his son left the office, his mind already turning. He made his way over to his desk, pulling up several files and databases. They may have rescued the missing Japanese, but there was still more work to be done. Lelouch knew his father; he wouldn’t stop until his plans were accomplished. He just hoped that they would be able to figure out Charles’s plan before it was too late.

* * *

 

Shadow paced around his office, hands clenching and unclenching at a steady pace. The Japanese were gone, and Charles was upset. Shadow’s plan was trying to crumble underneath him, but he knew better than to panic. His lead scientist was currently on his way, and Shadow was anxiously waiting on the news that was being brought. His patience was thinning when the door to his office opened and closed quickly. 

The scientist paused when he saw Shadow’s pacing and subsequent glare. “I apologize; I was held up by-“

“Unless it has something to do with your report, I don’t want excuses,” Shadow snapped, causing the scientist to jump slightly. “Reports. Now.”

“Of course. Charles’s plan will continue as planned from the reports I’ve gathered,” the scientist said, looking through his notes. “It may take slightly longer due to Jocelyn ri Britannia’s involvement, but it is expected to succeed.”

“And the cloning?”

The scientist flipped through his pages. “So far the subjects have been going well through the testing phases. We should be ready for the developmental parts of the brain by the end of the month.”

Shadow rubbed the sides of his head. “Faster. It needs to be completed faster.”

“But sir, if we push the development, the results could not-“  
  
“I want it done faster!” Shadow shouted, clearing his desk off with one swing of his arm.

The scientist paused. “Y-yes sir! I will inform them right away.”

Shadow placed his hands on either side of the desk. “You’re dismissed.”

The scientist could not move any faster if he wanted to. Shadow rubbed his face, sitting down in his chair and taking off his mask. He rubbed the side of his face before reaching for a drawer on his right. He slowly pulled the drawer open, taking out a picture. His chest ached as he looked down at the picture of two boys, two brothers, as they smiled at the camera. He rubbed over the scar on his chest, the physical ache of the wound just as strong as the ache in his heart.

The younger brother had always looked up to his older brother. Wherever he would go, whatever he would do, the younger brother was always right behind him. They were the closest; their sister was closer to their parents than they had been. Shadow closed his eyes, thinking back to the memories that were growing stale. It was the ringing of his personal phone that he jumped slightly. He looked down at the caller ID before answering.

“Hello?”

“When are you coming back, Arata?” Rashi asked, her voice sounding soft. Even with all their fighting, the Shushiki siblings were close. Or they had been.

“Soon. I’m finishing up paperwork, and then I’ll be on the first plane back. They were surprised that I had asked for this amount of days off,” he joked a little.

Rashi was silent for a moment before speaking up. “When you get home, can we do things that Bradford would’ve wanted to do?”

Arata smiled softly. “Of course, Rashi. I have to go now; I’ll let you know when I’ve landed, alright?”

“Alright. See you later.”

Arata ended the call, but soon he was in another call on a different line. It didn’t take long for the line to be answered.

“Yes?” C.C. asked, her voice soft.

“Everything in motion?”

“It is. You took a very large risk.”

“I wasn’t expecting my idiot brother to throw himself in the line like that,” Arata snapped, his anger quick to boil at the way C.C. had regarded Bradford.

“Either way, it was risky. You are becoming a major enemy in the eyes of Lelouch and Jocelyn. Soon they will begin searching for you.”

“And once they do, the Order will crumble beneath them.”

“And Charles?”

Arata leaned back in his seat. “If everything goes to plan, he will be dead soon enough. So will Jocelyn and Lelouch. Then there will be no one in our way for control.”

“Such confidence.” Arata was sure he could hear a tease in C.C.’s voice.

“Focus on your part, C.C. I need both of them focused solely on finding me and stopping Charles.”

“I know, I know. I’m working on it.”

Arata nodded. “Good. Report next week with an update.”

Arata ended the call quickly, placing his phone on the table. He ran his hand through his hair as he stared down at the picture of himself and Bradford when they were younger. Seeing his brother throw himself in front of Lelouch and Suzaku, taking the hit that was to destroy both of them, made his chest ache more. The idiot had to go and get himself killed when he should have stayed back. Arata slammed his fist down on the table.

“I will bring you back, Brother. Our family will be whole again,” Arata whispered softly before a wicked smile appeared on his lips.

The laughter that echoed through the office would have sent chills down anyone’s backs. Time would tell if Arata’s plan as Shadow would succeed. The only one capable of stopping him was far too busy with the return of her father. He smiled at the thought of her purple iris, the look of determination in them. He was looking forward to the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all those who stuck with this work and followed it. It's been an interesting ride writing this work, and I'm looking forward to when I can begin the sequel. Follow me on tumblr for all updates on future works, both for this universe and for other fandoms that I write for at libs1317.


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